Summer Entrepreneurship Institute
Discover what it takes to launch a business where you are the boss. Let our experts and trailblazers show you.
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Program at a glance
Our goals are to:
- Encourage entrepreneurial thinking
- Assist students in learning about the process of starting and growing new ventures.
In the end, this program will help students decide if entrepreneurship or business are fields they want to pursue.
When:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 15-17, 2027
Students will:
- Recognize what is required to become a successful entrepreneur.
- Use entrepreneurial thinking to identify new business ideas.
- Learn how to evaluate the feasibility of potential business ideas.
Activities include:
- Field trips to entrepreneurial businesses
- Interactive lectures with the School of Management’s faculty
- Entrepreneurs as guest speakers
- Team projects and presentations
- Creativity exercises
A typical day:
- 8:30-9 a.m. Arrive at camp
- 9 a.m. Faculty-led discussion and activities
- 10:15 a.m. Snack break
- 10:30 a.m. Entrepreneur guest speaker or company tour
- Noon Lunch
- 12:45 p.m. Team project work
- 2 p.m. 15-minute break
- 2:15 p.m. Faculty-led discussion and activities
- 3:30 p.m. Dismissal
Reflections
They gave me many ideas to fuel my business! I don’t typically reach out to other students in these environments, but I felt I made very good relationships with my peers here. —SEI student
The students benefit from interacting with professors but also really enjoy meeting and hearing the experiences of entrepreneurs who give guest lectures. It’s also nice to see how students get to know others who have a similar entrepreneurial passion. Overall, it is enjoyable to interact with the group of impressive, talented high-school students that attend the Summer Entrepreneurship Institute. —Brian Blume, program director of the Hagerman Center & professor of organizational behavior and HR management
It helped me go in the direction I wanted to go and helped me fuel one of my ideas. —SEI student
Going into the program, I never expected the students to be so enthusiastic and hands-on. It was amazing seeing all of them take the event and turn it into something much bigger. It was definitely an amazing learning experience for everyone involved. I wish I would have participated in something like that when I was in high school and trying to decide what field of study I wanted to pursue! —Ashley Hardacre, UM-Flint student volunteer
Frequently asked questions
What is the Summer Entrepreneurship Institute?
It is a three-day summer camp/institute for high school students who will be a junior or senior in the fall of 2027. The camp is on the University of Michigan-Flint campus located in the School of Management classrooms in the Riverfront Center.
What will students do at SEI?
Students will engage in a series of life-changing sessions, allowing them to get a feel for entrepreneurship and business. The program’s mission is to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and assist students in learning about the process of starting and growing new ventures.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is Thursday, April 29, 2027.
What is the cost to attend?
The cost to attend is $50 for three days. This cost covers instruction, materials, lunch, snacks and other miscellaneous items, like a t-shirt and backpack.
Need-based scholarships are available. You can request when applying to the program, if needed.
Participants will receive an automatic $25 scholarship for the camp if they are related to UM-Flint students, alumni, employees or faculty members. If this is the case for you, please email us after completing your application to request that the UM-Flint Family Relations scholarship be applied to your application.
Can parents attend the event with their student?
Leaders will invite parents and guardians to a 15-minute information session during the camp’s first morning. They will also invite parents and guardians to students’ presentations during the camp’s final afternoon.
More questions? Contact us.
