Northwest Arkansas May 2026 Newsletter

A 7-question survey to help us serve you better

YEI is exploring how educators are thinking about their work, their time, and what they might want more of right now. This short, anonymous survey should take less than 3 minutes. Your response will help shape what we build next.

RSVP for Summer Professional Development

Who: 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.

Register for Summer Pitch Contest by June 15

The YEI National Summer & Out-of-School Time Pitch Contest is now open for K-12 students to compete nationally, win prizes, and build entrepreneurial skills. Students can enter individually or as a team by identifying a problem, creating a solution, and pitching it in a 30-90 second video. Winners will be selected in each grade band. Register by June 15. Submissions are due July 31. Make sure to check out The Complete Pitch Toolkit for K-12 educators.

Ready-to-use resources for your classroom

YIPPEE Exchange is the go-to place for entrepreneurship education. It easily connects educators with real-world entrepreneurs and hands-on learning experiences – helping students build the skills and mindsets they need to thrive.

Educators can access a curated selection of:
• Field trips
• Workshops
• Lesson plans
• And more!

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

June Educator Power Hour

Who: K-12 Educators
What: YEI Educator Power Hour
When: Tuesday, June 9 from 3:00-4:00pm CT
Where: Online via Zoom

Pitch competitions in Bentonville and Springdale districts

The school year is winding down but pitch competitions have been in full swing this month across Northwest Arkansas with nearly 200 students participating from Bentonville Middle School, Grimsley Junior High, and Willis Shaw Elementary.

It’s been inspiring to see students share creative ideas, build confidence, and strengthen their entrepreneurial skills. Thank you to the teachers, administrators, judges, volunteers, and community partners who made these events possible - and congratulations to all the students who participated!

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!