A bottom-up development approach model for a lifelong entrepreneurship education in the Philippines / Maria Luisa Gatchalian ... [et al.]

How can an entrepreneurship program stand the test of time and sustain its development? This paper presents a program model that uses a bottom-up development approach (Anderson, 2010; Filev, 2008; Ries & Trout, 1989; Blenker & Rind, 2010) that underscores the value of involving and allowing the key stakeholder, the entrepreneur (former entrepreneurship student, turned entrepreneur,) in the whole process of change to participate, work together and collaborate with the students and school system to bridge the gaps and needs. Thus, maximize the opportunities it could bring and create a powerful positive change in entrepreneurship education. It uses the findings from end-of-course evaluations, and discussions conducted in the all-female entrepreneurship students from 2006-2011. These also include interviews and discussions with co-teachers, school administrators and the first batch of graduates of Miriam College in 2001 on the visioning and in creating teaching/learning interventions that will invigorate, sustain, make relevant the “entrep program.” The paper identifies the challenges, needs, limitations and aspirations of the stakeholders in the academic community. It proposes the “E-program,” such as mentoring, angel investment, creative laboratory, and e-law clinic among other progressive interventions. As a lifelong education (Knapper & Cropley, 2000; Field, 2001, Avis, Fischer & Thompson, 2000), the E-program is a model that is envisioned to institutionalize, sustain and continuously improve the quality of entrepreneurship education and its development overtime.