The Hewlett-Packard Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (HP LIFE) curriculum is well-organized and uses a consistent format throughout all the modules. It uses a participatory methodology that engages learners through engaging narratives and interactive activities to introduce key entrepreneurship concepts and skills. The curriculum effectively incorporates technology; it does not feel forced or feel that it is “technology for technology’s sake.”

In terms of weaknesses, the curriculum could incorporate a wider range of interactive activities, such as role plays, individual presentations, guest speakers, and field trips. These types of activities could further reinforce the curriculum’s KSAs and, based on my experience, help engage learners and facilitators/trainers, alike. Another weakness is that HP LIFE does not explicitly address the soft skills required to be a successful entrepreneur. Many organizations and donors are now focusing their attention on building these transferable life skills into entrepreneurship and workforce development projects, as they have been shown to be critical. Negotiation, teamwork, and handling conflict are a few of the skills that could help strengthen HP LIFE. Also, the curriculum does not include a module on access to financial services, which for many new entrepreneurs is a major hurdle. Understanding what the options are, and how to access formal and non-formal sources of credit, could enhance the curriculum. Another area that is growing in entrepreneurship education is social entrepreneurship. It would be great if one of the case studies presented used an example of a person starting a social enterprise. Finally, while many of the stories address this indirectly, a module or activity about support webs--either individuals or organizations--could be beneficial for participants. Working with coaches and mentors can be extremely beneficial to new (and experienced) entrepreneurs.  One final weakness of the curriculum is that, aside from the first and possibly second level, participants need to live in communities with strong information and communication technology infrastructure.

Review 1
Skills to Pay the Bills is a very practical training guide with many adaptable activities that can be used in a variety of settings. With a very visual, neatly laid out, consistent format, the manual is very user-friendly. Useful suggestions are provided on how to vary some activities, depending on the group of youth one is working with. The activities take into account what the learners already know based on their past experiences, and build off of this. Furthermore, the activities are participatory, engaging, and variedall necessary when working with youth.

The manual could be strengthened by having more clearly defined competency/skill-based objectives , particularly since the manual is written in response to the identified needs of employers. For each of the five activities, it would be helpful to see in a more detailed way, the competency, skills, and knowledge areas being addressed. That could be useful to both the trainers and learners so they can gauge progress being made.

While the manual could be used in an international setting, it would take some work to adapt it. Most of the scenarios, examples, etc., are very United States-based. For example, the activity about successes and failures gives examples of American sports players, television/movie producers, scientists, et al. The participatory nature of the activities, however, can be used anywhere. The manual has a lot of active, hands-on, engaging activities that seem like they will keep youth interested and engaged.

Review 1 The Rwandan Youth Work Readiness Curriculum is a well-designed, attractive, user-friendly workforce readiness curriculum for out-of-school youth and adults. Although made for Rwanda, it would not be difficult to adapt it for other sub-Saharan African countries, and perhaps countries in other parts of the world. One of its strengths is that it does not require a high level of literacy and numeracy. It is clearly and simply written, includes lots of very helpful tools for teachers, and employs activities that are engaging but easily implemented with relatively little teacher training. The curriculum is basic and does not attempt to deal with career planning, the more sophisticated and difficult parts of the entrepreneurship process such as micro-loans, or with hard training skills. It provides opportunities, however, to reinforce basic skills in reading and writing as well as to learn new so-called soft skills needed for work.

Review 1

The Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future textbook covers a wide array of topics related to entrepreneurship, from the big picture (what is entrepreneurship?) to the very detailed (tax implications and government regulations). The curriculum is comprehensive, covering essential knowledge that a young person interested in starting a business will need to know. Throughout the course, learners are asked to develop their own personal business plan. They can fill in the information either using a student workbook (paper) or by using the BizTech software (electronic). The textbook includes prompts for the learners when and what they should fill in based on where they are in the textbook.Another useful feature of the curriculum is a case study of a young woman that follows her challenges and successes starting, growing, and eventually leaving a catering business she started in high school. The case studies help tie together the chapters and provide learners of real examples of how a young person applies the topics included in the text to her professional life. The curriculum was updated in 2010 and the material is up-to-date and it makes use of recent examples. The format will be familiar to the learners and teachers, as the curriculum is a traditional textbook used in the U.S.A weakness of the curriculum is that it covers such a wide range of topics that it might be overwhelming to the learner. While NFTE uses textboxes, graphics, reading checkpoints, and mini-assessments throughout, it is still quite text heavy. To make the most of the curricular material, the learners need to have strong reading skills and relatively strong math skills in order to fully grasp it. If the learners are at-risk or coming from low income communities and do not have a strong academic background, they may find the material to be too complex. Also, the fact that the curriculum is in a textbook may be a deterrent to learners who have not been successful in a traditional, school environment and may be turned off thinking this is just another class.These challenges can be overcome based on the strength of the facilitator. It is imperative that the lesson plans used in conjunction with the text help engage learners, especially those with different learning needs and learning styles. The teacher guide was not submitted for this review, but it would likely provide guidance on how to address these issues.The version of the textbook reviewed is written for a U.S. audience. All of the examples are based in the U.S. and some of the topics, such as taxes and government regulations are particular to the U.S. It would need significant adaptation to be used with different audiences, especially for developing countries where the examples and activities may not be relevant to their specific contexts.