The University of Alabama

Office of Community Affairs

Alabama REAL

AlabamaREAL is a project of The University of Alabama’s Division of Community Affairs Center for Community Based Partnerships and Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration/ Department of Management and Marketing. The project goal is to provide support to K-12 teachers and students through Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (REAL). REAL was created over a decade ago as a nationwide organization to advance education and training in entrepreneurship across rural and small city America.

REAL is a well recognized experiential approach to entrepreneurship education designed primarily for use within rural school systems and subsequently adapted for use by community-based organizations and post-secondary institutions. In 2002, REAL became a major program component of the Corporation for Economic Development (CFED) (http://www.cfed.org) . There are currently 12 active state organizations and two active international organizations.

AlabamaREAL became a state member organization in 1997. Since that time, the project has supported instructor training and program implementation in 43 schools and communities in 17 counties within the state of Alabama. The newly formed partnership between Community Affairs and the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration has created exciting new opportunities for the program.

In 2007 AlabamaREAL will host a one-week national training Institute and a one-week summer youth camp. In addition, AlabamaREAL is part of the University’s lead in 2007 EntrepreneurshipWeek USA (http://www.EntrepreneurshipWeekUSA.com).


UPCOMING EVENTS:

Entrepreneurship Week USA
February 24 - March 3, 2007

From February 24 to March 3, 2007, entrepreneurs, educators, community leaders and young people across the US will celebrate the power of entrepreneurship and ignite the nation’s consciousness about the importance of being entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurship Week USA offers a tremendous opportunity to engage and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. The initiative will enhance on-going interest and provide an educational kick-start for the uninitiated, serving as an inspiration for young people to begin a journey to fulfill their potential as self-starters and entrepreneurs.

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AlabamaREAL Institute
July 8 - 13, 2007 (curriculum and facilitator institute)

A hands-on course which helps high school and post-secondary students learn to think, plan, and act as entrepreneurs. Additional details will be posted soon.

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AlabamaREAL hosts Youth Entrepreneurship Camp
July 23 - 27, 2007

Additional details will be posted soon.

 

Contact Information:
David Ford, 205.348.4631 or dford@cba.ua.edu
Tommie Syx, 205.348.8123 or tsyx@cba.ua.edu