Case Studies

Spurring Socio-Economic Mobility in Two Florida Counties   Location: 5 campuses and 1 center in Florida’s Pasco and Hernando counties Total enrollment: 11,500 students Number of employees: 948 Percentage of female students: 67%   OVERVIEW: Pasco-Hernando State College serves two counties where the median wage is lower than in the nearest large metro areas, St. Petersburg and Tampa. In Pasco County, the median wage is $50,417; in Hernando County, it’s $46,030, more than $7,000 below…

Location: North Omaha, Nebraska Launch date: 2019 Graduation rate: 86% Participants who have completed the program: 18 Formerly incarcerated: 20% Past participants who serve as social models: 60% Microgrants awarded: 25  Business revenue generated: $1.5 million OVERVIEW: In North Omaha, as in many inner-city communities across the United States, residents tend to spend their disposable income elsewhere. There’s little sense of economic cooperation, and entrepreneurial skill sets often manifest in unhealthy behaviors. Pastor Myron Pierce…

Location: Erie, Pennsylvania District size: 11,000 students at 16 schools Year of implementation: 2017 Number of middle schoolers who have completed the program: 3,000 Overview In early August of 2021, the school board of Erie’s Public Schools approved a new social studies curriculum for the district’s seventh-graders—and officially gave its blessing for the Ice House Middle School Edition to be taught for an entire quarter. It’s a confirmation of the innovative program’s success over the…

Location: Perry Local Schools in Perry, Ohio K-12 enrollment: 1,800 Middle school program established: 2019 Student program enrollment to date: 44 Overview: This small school district lies 30 miles east of Cleveland in Lake County, once the nursery capital of America. Industry has largely replaced the region’s agricultural foundation, including a nearby power plant. Like many districts, Perry has limited financial resources. But, when the district’s leaders believe a program will benefit their students, “they…

Location: St. Louis, Missouri Enrollment: 815 Number of full-time faculty: 70 School founded: 1850 Dunne Family Innovation Commons opened: 2018 Students who have completed Foundations of Entrepreneurship (Ice House): 400 Overview Christian Brothers College High School (CBC) is an all-male Catholic high school in suburban St. Louis. It offers a college preparatory setting where students’ educational programs are fully customized based on their individual abilities, strengths, challenges, and interests. For example, incoming students can choose…