Start It Classes to be held with Northside Learning Center and Blueprint 15

CenterState CEO's Start It! Business Basics program will expand in a new, but familiar way this winter. Rather than centralized at the Salt City Market, the next Start It! cohorts will operate on a neighborhood model with support from trusted community partners at the Northside Learning Center (NSLC) and Blueprint 15.

CenterState CEO recognizes that having partner organizations involved with the class recruitment process creates an opportunity to connect with people who may not have otherwise enrolled. Holding classes in locations on Syracuse’s Northside and South Side where residents already feel comfortable helps to encourage those who are balancing busy lives to fully explore the opportunity of entrepreneurship.

The upcoming cohorts with the NSLC will include site specific strategies to mitigate common barriers to participation. For example, NSLC staff will provide language support, and courses will build in time for prayer and religious observances that would otherwise overlap with class time.

Both the NSLC and Blueprint 15 cohorts will also include a stipend. Participants will receive the stipends throughout the program as they complete course milestones. This strategy is a best practice among other workforce development programming, including many of those supported by CenterState CEO. The goal is to both increase program engagement and completion, while also removing the potential cost burden for people with low incomes.

The cohort at NSLC is scheduled to start in early December. Blueprint 15 is expected to launch its cohort in early January. For more information connect with Erik Jankowski, CenterState CEO’s Small Business Manager.