Northwest Arkansas April 2026 Newsletter

RSVP FOR JUNE 30 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Who: All K-12 Educators in NWA
What: Free summer PD Connecting Educators to Entrepreneurs hosted by YEI and Economics Arkansas
Keynote Speaker: Makayla Moore from 7 Brew
When: Tuesday, June 30 from 9:00am-4:00pm
Where: NorthWest Arkansas Community College Washington County in Springdale

All Arkansas educators who attend this event and are under contract for the 2026-2027 school year will receive a $50 stipend from Economics Arkansas.

A MEANINGFUL MILESTONE FOR YIPPEE - 5,000 EDUCATORS AND COUNTING!

YIPPEE educators bring entrepreneurship into their classrooms, sparking curiosity, creativity, and real-world problem-solving for students in their classrooms and communities.

Through YIPPEE, educators gain access to hands-on resources that help students think like entrepreneurs - building confidence, resilience, and skills that will support them in school, work, and life.

Resources are available at no cost to educators, thanks to the generous support of YIPPEE's sponsors. Learn more at yippeemarket.com.

RSVP FOR APRIL 21 YEI EDUCATOR POWER HOUR

Who: K-12 Educators
What: YEI Educator Power Hour
Topic: Supporting the Entrepreneurial Journey at all age levels
Speakers: Leah Ellis from The Society of Child Entrepreneurs, Kim Gorsuch from Weeva's Mia and Tiago, and Lisa Riegel from JAKAPA
When: Tuesday, April 21 from 4:00-5:00pm ET
Where: Online via Zoom (you will receive a link after registering)

MOTT MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE
22 Round 1 finalist teams from Arkansas!

Over 5,300 students from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shared bold ideas in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, pitching solutions to real-world problems. From this group, 1,500 submissions were selected as Round 1 winners across grades K–12, showcasing creativity in areas like health, technology, sustainability, and community impact. Each will receive a $250 award. There are 22 Round 1 finalist teams from Arkansas!

As the competition moves forward, 60 semi-finalists will be invited to pitch live in Flint, Michigan this June.

TEACH ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR REAL THIS SUMMER

Lemonade Lab is a creator platform where kids build real businesses, earn real money with parent approval, and learn entrepreneurship by doing it. Lemonade Lab is currently inviting teachers, summer programs, and youth organizations to join their Free Educators Module Pilot. It is built for educators who want to go beyond theory and give students a safe, guided way to create real projects, launch real shops, and build real world business skills through hands on experience. To learn more, visit lemonadelab.ai. If you are interested in joining the pilot, reach out at hello@lemonadelab.ai.

As AI transforms work, human “durable skills” like critical thinking, communication, and collaboration are becoming more valuable. Are education and training systems keeping pace with this shift? Check out this recent article written by Anshul Sonak, Global Director, Digital Readiness Programs at Intel.

If you have an educator professional development event, useful curriculum, or opportunity for students to engage with the entrepreneurial mindset, please let us know. Feel free to email us with any potential features to be included in our future newsletters, we'd love to hear from you!