The Entrepreneurship (Creativity & Innovation) Institute

We encourage all students who participate in an Institute to use the experience to earn high school credit.

Awarding high school credit is at the discretion of the student’s sending school, so we recommend students make a plan with their high school guidance counselor before attending GIV to earn their credit.

Each school has unique requirements around proficiencies, credits, and PLPs, so there are multiple pathways to awarding credit based on your school's system of assessments.

However, we recommend that high schools award credit by having students produce one or more of the following...
- A presentation to reflect on the overall experience to present for counselors and/or teachers in the fall after their participation.
- A learning journal for submission about areas of learning, activities, reflections.
- Work examples to share with sending school teachers (physical or digital products, writing, videos of presentations, learning journal, etc.) to be reviewed and assessed.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] if we can directly help or support you or your school in determining credit opportunities for your experience at GIV.

1-week intensive
3 instructional/activity periods each day
Form teams to develop business plans and learn professional team roles
Culmination in presentation of a business plan for actual investors
Field trips to area businesses and companies that inspire entrepreneurial spirit
Leadership and team-building
Hands-on exercises
Grapple with the ambiguity of the entrepreneurship process
Balance thinking and acting
Free, game, and relax time
Dormitories and roommates
4:1 student-to-staff ratio

Business
Finance
Economics (macro & personal)
Idea formation
Presentation & public speaking
Vermont-focused business opportunities
Practical entrepreneurial skills for every field or occupation

40+ hours of entrepreneurial training and study
Connections with established business professionals
Financial support opportunities for promising business plans

Equivalent to one semester of high school credit in 1 or more of the following:

Financial Literacy
Personal Finance
Global Citizenship- Economics
Public Speaking

This Institute’s curriculum has been aligned with the following Vermont proficiency-based graduation requirements at the high school level.

Financial Literacy
- Spending/Saving
- Credit and Debt
- Financial Decision Making
- Employment and Income
- Investing
- Risk Management and Insurance

Global Citizenship
- Constructing Questions: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d
- Determining Helpful Sources: 2a
- Civic & Political Institutions: 3a, 3d
- Economic Decision Making: 6a
- Exchange & Markets: 7a, 7b
- Global Economy: 9a

Transferable Skills
- Communication: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g
- Self-Direction: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i
- Problem Solving: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h
- Citizenship: 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f
- Informed Thinking: 5a, 5b, 5f

Eligible for 3 college credits through Vermont State University.
Dual Enrollment voucher eligible.
See our Academic Guide for the latest information about how to get this credit by going to giv.org/academicguide