Volunteers offer students new perspectives on the NFTE curriculum, and have a direct, lasting influence on the personal and professional successes of our young people, and the success of our organization.
NFTE volunteers receive training, support and other learning opportunities, in addition to networking opportunities and invitations to volunteer recognization events. Your local program office will assist you in broadening your skills by assigning you, when appropriate, to new volunteer positions that involve additional and/or greater responsibilites.
There are four primary volunteer opportunities at NFTE. To contact your local program office about additional opportunities, select the office from the pull-down menu to the right.
Business Plan Coach
Commitment: 1–2 hours per session, up to 3–4 months
The business plan coach advises students on how to improve their business plans. Through one-on-one and small-group sessions in a NFTE classroom or community-based organization setting, the coach assist students with developing their ideas fully, focusing on areas they have difficulty understanding or articulating, and helping them to present their ideas before an audience and a panel of judges.
Business Plan Competition Judge
Commitment: 1 day for 2–3 hours
The culminating event of every NFTE program is a competition. Through this opportunity, students present their business plans before an audience and a panel of volunteer judges. Judges listen, ask questions, and evaluate each presentation. Judges, who are entrepreneurs and business professionals, offer students a realistic perspective of their business plans. Judges are needed for individual classroom competitions as well as citywide and regional competitions across the country.
Field Trip Host
Commitment: 1 day for 2–3 hours
One of the best ways to expose young people to business concepts is to have them visit an actual business and meet the actual people who make it happen. Field trips give students the chance to observe practitioners in job functions such as finance, human resources, marketing, and sales. The visits can be to the volunteer’s company or to the business of a local entrepreneur (e.g., neighborhood restaurant owner or merchant). Field trips are a terrific opportunity for young people to learn about different professions and the challenges and rewards of the workplace.
Guest Speaker
Commitment: 1 day for approximately 1 hour
Guest speakers provide direct service to students primarily in a NFTE classroom or group setting. The guest speaker facilitates a 45-minute to 1-hour lesson or presents a topic of his/her choice to complement the NFTE curriculum. As business professionals and entrepreneurs, guest speakers add more dimension to our students’ learning by offering fresh perspectives, which connect the textbook to real-life business experiences.
