| This qualitative study followed a group of 24 high school seniors as they learned entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking skills during a year-long program called EntrePrep. Data were collected in multiple settings over the course of the program, using qualitative data collection techniques; i.e., field notes, interviews, observations and journals. Using grounded theory methods, the data were analyzed for emergent themes.;Data analysis revealed a wide variability of student experience during the internship. However, a common overall pattern of themes emerged during the internship which shaped the experience for all students, including themes of student characteristics, mentor characteristics, and themes of relationship and gender. In addition, during the internship period all students gained insight into the complexities of entrepreneurship in general and valuable social knowledge specific to each mentor and workplace.;When analyzed for gender differences, the data suggested that the EntrePrep experience is different for boys and for girls. The girls in this group valued relationship with their mentors and others in the workplace, while the boys were primarily interested in their individual business accomplishments and business knowledge acquisition. The differences found in the data corroborated gender differences documented in the literatures of entrepreneurship and learning. Understanding these gender differences has implications for entrepreneurship education, gender differences among entrepreneurs, and ultimately, for encouraging girls' and women's contribution to the economy in a way that values their personal priorities of interdependence and relationship as well as their economic needs. |
