Our Entrepreneurship Initiative: 2006-2007
VYLI’s Entrepreneurship Initiative is the cornerstone of VYLI’s mission to train young and emerging leaders to build a new Vieques. With few opportunities for economic and personal development, the Island’s socio-economic condition continues to decline. Young adults with skills and higher education usually relocate to the main Island and beyond in search of better opportunities. This brain-drain seriously undermines the islands’ future. In order to become a socially healthy and prosperous island, Vieques urgently needs attention and support from both the public and private sectors, in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and the international community.
VYLI’s Entrepreneurship Initiative uses the Stone Soup Leadership Institute’s educational curriculum featuring 100 stories of innovative leaders like microcredit/finance pioneer, Muhammed Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize: www.grameenfoundation.org. A member of the Stone Soup Leadership Institute’s International Advisory Council, Yunus inspired our work in Vieques – following his receiving the Institute’s prestigious award from Walter Cronkite in New York in 2002. To see our Photo Gallery: http://www.soup4world.com/galleries/NYC/index.html
VYLI’s 3rd Season on the Malecon begins November, 2006
VYLI Expands Product Line to include Taino Calabash Design: Fall, 2006
Our commitment is to develop Eco-tourism products that educate youth how to preserve their heritage; while raising funds to help realize their dreams for their lives and their future. This fall young people are learning from Taino artisan Daniel Silva to harvest calabash, prepare and carve into lampshades and bird feeders. Young people will sell our signature T-shirts and hand-made jewelry from VYLI logo pendants Vieques’ natural seeds and beads.
VYLI’s 3rd Annual Summer Institute: June, 2006
Entrepreneurship Workshop during VYLI’s week-long intensive training with Kutasha Silva and Lynda Bayron. Fifty young people (ages 11-17) discovered how they could make their dreams come true by being entrepreneurs.
Cultural Arts-Jewelry-Making Workshop with Lynda Bayron and 17-year old Kassandra Castillo -- turning Vieques’ natural resources of seeds, beads, shells, glass and stones into unique jewelry. The young artisans proudly wore their hand-made crafts; some young entrepreneurs sold their wares at graduation. Kassandra’s exquisite pieces were sold at the Taste of the Islands. Proceeds help support her travel to San Juan to participate – and win in the Elite Model Look competition.
VYLI Youth Participate in 3rd Annual Caribbean Artisan Festival: March, 2005
VYLI youth participated in the 3rd annual Caribbean Artisan Festival in Tortola, British Virgin Islands with ten other Caribbean countries. Youth experienced quality craftsmanship; learned to appreciate the time involved in producing handicrafts and how to preserve their unique Caribbean culture and contribute to the economic well-being of the Island. VYLI youth served as true ambassadors for a new Vieques -- making friends; creating partnerships; connecting Vieques with other Caribbean islands and inviting people to visit their beautiful island.
Vieques-Tortola Economic-Cultural Development Delegation: March, 2005
VYLI youth leaders joined the first Economic-Cultural Development Delegation to Tortola, British Virgin Islands with Mayor Damaso Serrano Lopez. Josue Cruz and Eliasib Utreras made a presentation to BVI Chief Minister Orlando Smith and invited BVI youth to attend VYLI’s 3rd annual Summer Institute. The Vieques delegation were
honored guests at prestigious H.S. Laverty Stoutt College. President Michael O’Neal welcomed the delegation at the College’s Technology Center, hosting a video conference attended by Banco Popular Vice President Ian Smith
Vieques Youth Leadership Initiative * P.O. Box 424, Vieques, PR 00765 * 787.477.7707 * www.vyli.com
VYLI on the Malecon: November, 2005
Launched 2nd successful season during busy Thanksgiving weekend – new product-line…. In addition to T-shirts.
VYLI’s 2nd Annual Summer Institute: July, 2005
VYLI held our 2nd annual Summer Institute for sixty young people ages 7-19 years old. The began their week by making Dream Collages from magazines donated by the community. At graduation, these collections proudly displayed their hopes and dreams of our emerging car mechanics and graphic designers, engineers and architects, actors and musicians, poets and writers, teachers and biologists. Young people learned how they can make their dreams come true by creating entrepreneurship projects and little businesses. One group of jewelry makers make beautiful necklaces from local seeds and beads and sold them at graduation.
BIZ Camp: August, 2005
Project Coordinator Kutasha Silva conducted an intensive camp for young entrepreneurs who learned the basics of creating their own business. By the end of the training, they created preliminary business plans to realize their dreams including creating the first movie theatre business in Vieques.
Entrepreneurship Pilot Program: November, 2004
Organized successful four-month pilot program -- first youth entrepreneurship in Vieques; Young Viequenses (ages 13-17) learned how to be entrepreneurs by managing their own business. VYLI youth designed culturally representative products, developed our presentation skills, practiced English; took our product (T-Shirts) to the marketplace on the Malecon in Esparanza. Used VYLI logo to design pendant and create unique hand-made necklaces.
Cultural Arts Initiative: Fall, 2004
For the last seven months, we’ve worked with young Viequenses writers-poets, artists, dancers and musicians to develop projects that express their vision of a new Vieques. In our weekly after-school workshops, we’ve designed an inspiring logo that represents our dreams; created a bi-lingual Vieques Positiva photo exhibit with colorful banners and hung it in the Vieques Airport. We’ve piloted partnerships with local businesses: the first Culinary Arts internship with a restaurant and artist training at the Island’s largest gallery. We’ve created cross-cultural exchange with students from Martha’s Vineyard. We’ve created a hit song, performed it at community events and working on a video to bring our message of hope to the world. We piloted our T-Shirt Business during the busiest tourist season in Vieques history.
How VYLI Entrepreneurship Initiative Benefits Young Viequenses
• Trains youth in sales and customer relations while learning about running a small business.
• Increases youth pride, self-esteem and motivation for work ethic and realizing their dreams.
• Increases skills, education and job readiness while fostering life-long curiosity for learning.
• Breaks cycle of poverty, encourages self-sufficiency and sustainable economic activities.
• Develops bi-lingual communication and presentation skills.
• Learning-in-action, project-based cultural-entrepreneurial ventures.
• Multiplier effect/replicable model: trains young people to be leaders who reach out and help other youth.
1. Reduces School Drop Outs: We invite everyone to dream about what they want for their lives, their future and the future of their island. We motivate and direct youth to education and opportunities; connect to the world of work through mentors, apprenticeships and internships.
2. Increases Skills & Reduces Unemployment and Government Dependency: We train people to be entrepreneurs and reward them with recognition in the community and with travel opportunities.
3. Helps Reduce Petty Crime by Bridging the Cultural Divide: We appeal to the enlightened self-interest of the business community to get involved with training the young people of the island. As part of our quest to connect young people with caring adults, we invite everyone in our community to serve as mentors to open doors for them. Statistics show that young people who have a caring adult in their lives are more likely to succeed.
Entrepreneurship Initiative - Our Pilot Program: 2004-2005
The Dream Club T-Shirt Business is the first entrepreneurial venture of the Vieques Youth Leadership Initiative. It is an outgrowth of the Cultural Arts Initiative with Tito Auger, lead singer with Fiel a la Vega. For the last seven months, we’ve worked with young Viequenses writers-poets, artists, dancers and musicians to develop projects that express their vision of a new Vieques. In our weekly after-school workshops, we’ve designed an inspiring logo that represents our dreams; created a bi-lingual Vieques Positiva photo exhibit with colorful banners and hung it in the Vieques Airport. We’ve piloted partnerships with local businesses: the first Culinary Arts internship with a restaurant and artist training at the Island’s largest gallery. We’ve created cross-cultural exchange with students from Martha’s Vineyard. We’ve created a hit song, performed it at community events and working on a video to bring our message of hope to the world. We piloted our T-Shirt Business during the busiest tourist season in Vieques history.
Our Pilot Program: How It Works
Every Wednesday, we work on our personal and collective dreams with creative writing and journaling. We design products, develop our presentation skills, practice our English and read stories about people who made their dreams come true from books like Pan Y Vino Para El Camino. Every Friday, our young people take our product (T-Shirts) to the marketplace at our portable shop on the Malecon in Esparanza.
Curious tourists stop by as they watch the magnificent sunsets setting behind us into the Caribbean Sea. They are pleasantly surprised to meet our inspiring young people and learn about this beautiful Island. They soon discover this is much more than just selling T-Shirts– it’s a cultural experience! It’s about young people feeling confident enough to engage in bi-lingual cross-cultural conversations. It’s about them welcoming people to their Island and sharing their dreams for their future. It’s also about building a more humane and sustainable world. After their exchange, people are often inspired to donate more than just the cost of the T-Shirt. They always leave with a smile on their face, and a desire to return to Vieques to discover more about this fascinating place and its people.
Our T-Shirt Business is barely three months old – and we have promising results. Young Viequenses (ages 13-17) are learning how to be entrepreneurs by managing their own business. They keep track of its finances, provide good customer service and practice conversational English. As this is their first job, they are learning how to develop a good work ethic: be on time, wear a uniform (our T-shirt) and coordinate their transportation (there is no public transportation in Vieques). They learn good business practices: how to create a display and fold T-Shirts; set up and break down; and create an email customer database. They’re developing values and character; learning how to share responsibilities; working as a team; practicing various jobs (vs. being the best); and being in a learning process. They learn the importance of a professional attitude and how to set goals. They learn how to save and spend wisely. Some created their first savings account. For their first two weeks (and until they demonstrated their commitment), our young entrepreneurs receive a training wage (1/2 minimum wage: $2.75). Now, four of our ten youth receive $11 each week ($5.50/hr. min wage x 2 hours) for their internship. Most importantly, they are having a positive exposure to the world of business.
Vieques Youth Leadership Initiative • P.O. Box 424 • Vieques, PR 00765 • 787.477.7707 •
Report from Project Coordinator
“I’ve watched our young people change dramatically in a very short time,” says Kutasha Silva, 24 year-old VYLI Project Coordinator, “Our young entrepreneurs challenge those adults who think Vieques youth are up to no good.” Jose Byron used to be a shy and unfocused boy. He’s now a 14-year-old young man who engages in friendly conversations with tourists in English and Spanish. He confidently and clearly shares his dream: a university in Vieques. Another shy 14-year-old girl, Yesenia Camacho, has revealed a self-confident and ambitious young woman who sets a goal each week to sell a certain number of T-Shirts, and invariably meets her goal. We also discovered that 15-year old Glenda Liz has good book- keeping skills. Over time, everyone gets a chance to develop this important skill. 15-year-old Emanuel Miro has a knack for marketing with his personable style, inviting people to visit our “shop.” He even ventures across the street to local restaurants, inviting people to stop by for a visit. He enjoys presenting our VYLI photo albums to help convey our collective story. “Week to week we meet people from many parts of Puerto Rico, USA, South America, Asia and Europe,” shares Kutasha. “What an eye-opening experience for these young people, many of who have never traveled beyond San Juan!”
“We urge you to come and watch how they respectfully and attentively greet each customer and then, carefully tuck away monies from purchases into their cash box,” Kutasha says proudly. “They are dreaming of success and taking steps towards it.” We’re grateful to Richie Kessler who provided the first $500 start-up capital for our business. In just three months, we’ve received $1,220 from T-Shirt sales and donations; we’ve paid wages of $394 and gifted 100 youth, friends, media and potential sponsors with complimentary T-Shirts. And, for the first time, we now have 50 T-Shirts in stock. “Our T-Shirt Business sets a good example for other youth and creates a multiplier effect,” Kutasha explains. “I’ve noticed teens who’ve dropped out of school or engage in unhealthy behaviors (alcohol, drugs), watching us curiously. As we continue to succeed, more youth will choose to join us and improve their lives.
Our Future Plans
Our dream is to become an official partner with and trained by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurs. During NFTE’s upcoming training program, we will learn how to develop a real business plan so we can expand our business; purchase silk-screening equipment and reduce our production costs from $6 to $3. During our Summer Institute, we will train more youth to be entrepreneurs and incubate other small youth businesses so they can pursue their dreams. With your help we can expand our business and influence more young people toward a future of economic health, success and independence.”
Our Partners: Our History and Our Goals
National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship: #1 youth entrepreneur training organization
• Steve Mariotti, founder NFTE and International Advisory Council of Stone Soup Leadership Institute
• Summer Institute 2004: NFTE alumni Jason Upshaw served as faculty: training youth in bike repair skills and sharing his experience of creating his own business, 2nd Gears in Cambridge, MA.
• Bike Initiative: piloted with the 4H Club of Vieques inspired youth to collect and repair old bikes
• Cultural Arts Initiative: translate sections of NFTE book for workshops; curriculum in Spanish
• Our Goal: Summer Institute: Use NFTE model to train more young people to become entrepreneurs
Send project coordinator and director to NFTE certification training: May 5-7, 2005
Barrios Unidos: leading Latino youth leadership, violence prevention and job training program
• Nane Alejandrez, founder, Barrios Unidos and Stone Soup Leadership Institute Board member
• Summer Institute 2004: served as faculty and conducted indigenous ceremony at Punta Ferro
• March, 2005: conducted orientation on silk-screening at BU Productions for VYLI Project Coordinator
• BU Productions is the silk-screening business training Latino youth to a booming T-shirt business.
• Our Goal: Summer Institute: 2005 Nane Alejandrez trains youth to produce silk-screened T-Shirts.silk-screened T-Shirts.
