Zainab IkpongZainab Ikpong, entering her fourth year studying political science and criminology, received course credit for her participation in the RBC EPIC Founders program.

Partnership to extend learning in entrepreneurship

A new partnership will provide students in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences course credit for completing the EPIC Discovery Program of the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre).

Students enrolled in the course Ways of Doing will receive mentorship, workshops, and other resources to help them validate their ideas.

The course, with code GART 3100 or SOSC 3100, connects students with community partners to participate in hands-on learning to explore career interests, navigate human networks, and develop the opportunities that students find valuable to their futures, says instructor Tim Brunet.

“This new partnership allows students to consider their entrepreneurial ideas that may include being a self-employed entrepreneur, creating a social enterprise, and pursuing their dream of owning and operating their own business,” he says.

“While many students aren’t quite ready to open their own business during their university studies, this partnership allows students to conduct market research, network their idea, and learn the process of launching their own business.”

EPICentre director Wen Teoh notes that “the skills gained in the Discovery Program helps students navigate new ideas and innovations within organizations, and that makes students more marketable to future employers.”

The EPIC Discovery Program offers free consultation services to students or recent graduates of any post-secondary institution seeking to found an enterprise in Windsor-Essex.

Students successfully completing the program are eligible to apply for the RBC EPIC Founders Program, a three-month accelerator program which pays participants up to $6,000 to develop ideas into viable ventures.

For more information about course enrolment, contact Brunet at tbrunet@uwindsor.ca.