A group of teens and tweens launch their own side hustles while finding ways to give back to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. These students are committed to doing whatever it takes, ‘WIT’ – a college-credit course that teaches young adults how to create a roadmap to success. NBC New York’s Linda Gaudino reports.
What to Know
- A group of New York City teens and tweens are launching their own side hustles while finding ways to give back to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- These students are committed to doing "whatever it takes," or 'WIT' --- the aptly named college-credit course that teaches young adults how to create a roadmap to success.
- According to WIT president, Sarah Hernholm, this program "helps young people step into their greatness" as a leader by participating in various classes, such as social entrepreneurship, small business management and marketing.
A group of New York City teens and tweens are launching their own side hustles while finding ways to give back to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
These students are committed to doing "whatever it takes," or 'WIT' --- the aptly named college-credit course that teaches young adults how to create a roadmap to success.
According to WIT president, Sarah Hernholm, this program "helps young people step into their greatness" as a leader by participating in various classes, such as social entrepreneurship, small business management and marketing.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Ranging from about $1,800 to $3,200, each of these courses can be taken with or without college credit in partnership with the University of California - San Diego.
"Success looks like being able to self-advocate. It's about being a self-sustaining individual and knowing the value of giving back. We just use entrepreneurship as the vehicle to teach those things," said Hernholm to NBC New York.
Seventeen-year-old entrepreneur Kylie Thorp is an example of a New York City teen who is participating in WIT and hopes to keep building her small business, Free Roaming Jewelry.
News
Thorp currently sells ZIP code engraved necklaces with a giveback component, donating 15% of sales to sponsoring a fence project in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Ariela Leff, founder of Lulu's Bracelests, is another young WIT student who is looking to raise awareness by donating half of her sales to supporting pet encounter therapy.
Success looks like being able to self-advocate. It's about being a self-sustaining individual and knowing the value of giving back. We just use entrepreneurship as the vehicle to teach those things.
Sarah Hernholm, WIT president
However, not every WIT student looks to become an immediate business owner. Some young adults hope to take these lessons learned to one day enhance their own community.
Previous WIT community coordinator, Deanna Nedd, a New York native, is currently a freshman at Babson College and hopes to create future opportunities for school systems in low income communities within the boroughs.
"Especially minority students, when you live in certain neighborhoods, you don't get the exact same resources that schools in high income neighborhoods might get. I feel like people within those school systems may not have so many options as to extracurriculars," Nedd said.
