Photo: Kvnga/Unsplash
Filming day-in-the-life content for social media developments skills for video editing, branding, and audience engagement. Using the summer to learn how to use platforms like TikTok not only for fun but as a tool for a business tool.
Already on Tiktok or Instagram? Teens can get real-world skills by blending business and their social media platforms into a unique venture this summer where they can learn valuable business experience as entrepreneurs.
Summer in central Illinois is finally here. For many teens, they will have a lot of unstructured time on their hands. With fewer summer jobs available, limited funds for sports camps or travel, and long days stretching ahead, many young people are left looking for purpose, income, or just something to do. But instead of drifting through the break, a growing number of students are learning to turn free time into opportunity by becoming their own bosses and discovering that entrepreneurship is more than just a way to earn extra money, it’s one of the most effective ways to learn. Teen entrepreneurs are applying what they learn in class or teaching themselves new skills to build businesses that reflect their heritage, passions, and problem-solving instincts. They’re not waiting until college or the workforce to think about leadership, innovation, or financial independence. They’re learning all of it in real time, by doing. For Latino, Asian, and African-American teens, launching a business not only builds confidence and technical skill, but also reinforces cultural pride and community connection. Some of the most popular ventures among these students are culturally-themed e-commerce shops. These online stores, often built using platforms like Shopify or TikTok Shop, serve as hands-on lessons in design, marketing, budgeting, and logistics. Teens are developing everything from Afro-futurist phone cases to Día de los Muertos digital templates, applying their creativity to build brands that resonate with both local and global audiences. These students aren’t just developing products—they’re mastering the principles of entrepreneurship: identifying a niche, understanding customer needs, pricing goods, and using social media to grow an audience. The act of launching and maintaining a store becomes a real-world business lab where theory and practice intersect.
Photo: Olena Bohovyk/PEXELS
Bilingual content creation and tech tutoring is another space where students are turning learning into leadership. By offering tutorials on AI tools, resume building, and coding in Spanish, Mandarin, or African American Vernacular English, teens are actively teaching others while sharpening their own understanding. These ventures promote not only digital literacy but also communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and empathy—all essential traits in a modern business environment.
Six YouTube channels perfect for a high school content creator
1. Small Town Hustles
Make videos for fellow high school students who have side gigs like lawn mowing, flipping thrift store finds, or selling homemade crafts. 2. Country Life Challenges
Make a series of funny videos about the struggles - no Uber Eats, slow internet, or "cows escaped AGAIN" - of life in a small town. 3. Small Town Mystery Stories
Make videos about local urban legends, abandoned places, or interview elders about town history. 4. Small Town Food Reviews
Create a video series rating local restaurant and gas station food and establishments. Include a few neighboring towns, too. 5. AI for Boomers
Teach 40 and 60-year-old people all the tricks you know on how to use AI. 6. Small Town Music & Bands
Interview local musicians, make hype videos, or teach someone how to play an instrument.
Photo: Ionut Roman/Unsplash
Even event planning—a complex, often underestimated form of entrepreneurship—is becoming a learning platform for teens. By organizing cultural expos, college prep fairs, or K-pop dance battles, students gain experience in logistics, team coordination, sponsorship outreach, and digital promotion. These experiences teach project management, negotiation, and community engagement, all of which are vital in both business and civic life. To support these ventures, students are also learning to seek funding and resources through identity-based organizations like the Latino Startup Alliance, Asian Hustle Network, and Black Founders. Applying for grants and mentorships teaches them to craft persuasive proposals, outline business plans, and articulate their mission and value. These experiences provide an early introduction to professional networks and expectations. The process of starting and sustaining a business introduces students to one of entrepreneurship’s most important lessons: learning through failure. A product that doesn’t sell, a campaign that flops, or a cost that exceeds the budget—these aren’t dead ends; they’re opportunities to regroup and rethink. For young entrepreneurs, mistakes are data points. They’re the foundation of growth. Tools like BizKids and Greenlight, along with old-fashioned piggy banks or play money ledgers, help students of all ages track revenue, analyze spending, and see where adjustments are needed. By engaging with these tools, students come to understand complex financial concepts through firsthand experience. Success is no longer abstract—it’s measured in saved allowances, sold hoodies, or repeat customers. Even those who don’t end up pursuing entrepreneurship long-term walk away with a toolkit that applies to nearly every profession. They’ve developed problem-solving instincts, built resilience, practiced communication, and cultivated the confidence to try again after setbacks. These are not just business skills, they’re life skills.
Photo: Tung Lam/Pixabay
Parents and educators can support this learning journey in many ways. Encouraging students to select electives like marketing, computer science, or psychology gives them foundational knowledge. Helping them connect with part-time jobs at local businesses adds context and responsibility. And pointing them toward national youth programs like Junior Achievement’s Company Program or the Future Bound competition provides platforms where they can test and present their ideas. Mentorship also plays a critical role. Students benefit from regular contact with adults who model entrepreneurial thinking and provide honest feedback. Even the act of building a vision board—laying out aspirations and breaking them into smaller goals—teaches strategic planning and long-term thinking. Entrepreneurship isn’t just a business pursuit for today’s students. It’s an immersive, student-driven form of education. It teaches by doing, sharpens through failing, and empowers through creating. It’s a method as much as a mindset—and one more young people are embracing as they prepare for a fast-changing future where adaptability, creativity, and self-direction will matter more than ever.
