|
LINCOLN, IL- February 2026 - The Land
of Lincoln CEO Program is now accepting applications from sophomore
and juniors in high school who are interested in participating in
the 2026-2027 CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) program.
CEO, an accredited year-long course provided by the Midland
Institute for Entrepreneurship, brings students out of the
traditional classroom and into the real world of business. Each day,
students meet in local businesses where they explore the inner
workings of companies, learn directly from community leaders, and
gain hands-on experience.
Participants develop professional skills, receive one-on-one
mentorship from local businesspeople, and launch their own
functioning business from concept to completion.
CEO is not held in the classroom. Instead, students meet each day in
local businesses where they learn about the inner workings of
companies and hear from community leaders.
But it’s not just about starting a business. Students learn about
professionalism and essential life skills. They have the opportunity
to explore career opportunities and are encouraged to develop
relationships with community leaders.
Students of all skill sets and backgrounds have the opportunity to
be successful in this class, provided they are hard-working,
trustworthy, and willing to take on an exciting challenge.
One student said of the program, “You’ll never get this opportunity
anywhere else. CEO isn’t just about running or creating a business.
You spend an hour and a half, 5 days a week, gaining skills that
will benefit you no matter what your career path.”
The CEO program is coordinated for area high schools by LTEC (Lincolnland
Technical Education Center) and students earn dual credit through
Heartland Community College. For students who are interested in
participating, the deadline to apply is March 1, 2026. Visit
landoflincolnceo.com to apply. Email facilitator@llceo.com for more
information.
[to top of second column] |
About Midland
Institute for Entrepreneurship
The Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship is a 501(C)(3)
organization that revolutionized the concept of entrepreneurship
education through the CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial
Opportunities) Program. Today, Midland Institute provides the
tools, training, and technology to 80+ CEO programs in 10
different states involving over 350 high schools. Midland
Institute team members work closely with business, school, and
community leaders in the establishment and launch of CEO’s
proven model and continue to work together with CEO boards and
facilitators to support the ongoing work of the program in their
communities.
For more information about CEO, visit DiscoverCEO.com.
About CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities)
Midland Institute’s “CEO program” is entrepreneurship
education that seeks to prepare people, especially youth, to be
responsible, enterprising individuals who become entrepreneurs
or entrepreneurial thinkers and contribute to economic
development and sustainable communities. The CEO program is much
more than a textbook course. Rather, students are immersed in
real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take
risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes.
[Lisa Kuhlman
Facilitator, Land of Lincoln CEO] |
