The Junior Space Entrepreneur Program will better prepare today’s youth to obtain and fulfill positions within STEM-based companies by providing an immersive educational experience. JSEP places students in immersive scenarios that teach and enhance necessary 21st Century Essential Skills and connects those skills to real-world careers. Participants will embark on a complete Mars mission encompassing all the challenges that come with sending astronauts to our neighboring planet and returning them safely to the Earth. Throughout the mission, each team will utilize their newly gained knowledge of Mars through our connections with the Space Foundation Space Commerce Program. The students will become business professionals and entrepreneurs after being trained and instructed on the skills necessary to manage a newly developed “Mars Company”. Teams will be responsible for developing a new technology transfer product for commercial spin-off purposes. In doing so, teams will create individual resumes for job applications within the companies, design and create a new company, develop a product prototype, and market their new product (or experience) to a group of possible investors.
