Venango County Economic Development Authority Director Emily Lewis announced that Taylor Snyder has been named Entrepreneurship Program Manager and will manage the Authority’s new Entrepreneurship Academy, or “eAcademy.” This program is designed to foster entrepreneurship in high school seniors by connecting students with businesses and a unique curriculum based on real-world experiences.

“The program will allow students to connect with our talented community of business leaders and develop skillsets that will be useful across any number of future career paths,” said Lewis. The Authority has been working to develop this program since early 2018 and a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission in November finally made it possible. “This program requires a dynamic instructor for it to be successful and we’ve found that person in Taylor,” said Lewis.

Snyder earned a Bachelor’s Degree in (K-12) Family and Consumer Science Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has been employed in public education since 2016, most recently in the Oil City Area School District. She is also Pennsylvania certified for instruction in Early Childhood Education, Special Education and Drivers Education.

Applications for the program are accepted until September 6. It is open to high school seniors and will run Monday through Thursday afternoons during the traditional school year. Classes will be held at 112 Frame Hall on the Clarion-Venango Campus in Oil City.

There is an Open House on Monday, August 19, from 5 to 6:15 p.m. in 112 Frame Hall where interested students and parents can meet Snyder, tour the classroom, and ask questions about the program.

This article was published in the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce’s August 2019 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.