Craig School of Business
Lyles Center For Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Youth Programs and Services
The Lyles Center coordinates with Fresno Unified School District’s Expanded Learning department to host fun and engaging week-long summer camps with FUSD elementary students throughout the month of July. These camps stimulate creative thinking by having students participate in engaging projects that require creativity, teamwork, and developing innovative ideas. During each activity, students learn to apply creativity and teamwork to solve a particular problem. Students design models, make observations, and communicate their ideas and findings, while thinking through real world problems.
Parents, be on the lookout for FUSD Expanded Learning’s summer catalog to enroll your child in our summer camps! Grade-levels can vary year to year.
Previous Titles Include: STEAM Tunnels, Young Engineers!, Young Innovators
For up-to-date information about FUSD Summer Camps, please contact the Expanded Learning office at 559.248.7560, or expandedlearning@fresnounified.org
The THINK Program is a hands-on, career-focused challenge series where students tackle
real-world problems using the engineering design process. The activities integrate
STEM, engineering, and innovation, while connecting students to career pathways supported
by Fresno Unified’s Office of College and Career Readiness. Offering one lesson per
semester to 3rd-6th grade classes, each Challenge is led in the classroom by Lyles
Center Program Assistants when teachers register their class to participate. The
program culminates each May with Innovation Day at the Save Mart Center, where students
showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills in a large-scale competition
with their peers.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Kristo Bocanegra: kbocanegra@mail.fresnostate.edu
Ilsle Garcia: Ilseg@mail.fresnostate.edu
Kelly Cruz: kellycruzjr@mail.fresnostate.edu
Thalia Garcia: thaliag@mail.fresnostate.edu
Our annual Innovation Day is coming to the Save Mart Center! In this event. Students from Fresno Unified’s 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades come together for an exciting competition with a focus on engineering and career exploration.
This event represents the culmination of a year of engaging in our Teaching how Innovation Nurtures Knowledge (THINK) Program, where students have explored career pathways through exciting engineer-based challenges
In this competition, students will experience the thrill of collaborative design as they work together to overcome engineering-themed design challenges in front of an audience of judges, family, and friends.
In collaboration with West Fresno Family Resource Center, the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship assists with Phase 1 of the Sweet Potato Project. During Phase 1 in late spring, students (typically ages 11-18) learn about urban agriculture, sustainability, responsibility, and the needs of the community. During this time, students plant sweet potato slips on an acre of land in southwest Fresno, as generously donated by agricultural leaders. By early July, students attend entrepreneurial and business workshops taught at California State University, Fresno with the Lyles Center. Participants learn about creating a pitch-style business plan for turning sweet potatoes into a product that can be marketed to the public. This phase concludes with a pitch competition at Fresno State for participating student teams to present their sweet potato products to an audience of family members, community leaders, and peers.
For more information or to register your child, visit the West Fresno Family Resource Center or call 559.374.5750.
The STEP program was designed to develop the entrepreneurial mindset in high school students — to get them to THINK and ENGAGE in charting their future. The program is delivered over the school year and is designed for teachers to "plug and play" the assignments into their teaching schedule. The Lyles Center works directly with each instructor through regularly scheduled training sessions to ensure a perfect fit for each unique classroom. The curriculum goes beyond writing a business plan — students learn about crowd-sourcing strategies, pricing, online marketing and social media tactics. Through fun and relevant activities, students gain the confidence to launch a business enterprise or social movement venture. As part of the program students participate in activities at Fresno State, including a team-building field trip to the Ropes Course in the fall and a Communications seminar in the spring. Finally, students showcase their hard work at the final competition and compete for cash prizes!
Volunteer
Are you looking for rewarding community service hours? Are you a business major looking
for exposure in entrepreneurship? Volunteer with Lyles Center STEP (High School Program).
For more information, please contact Anna Borgeas, Program Coordinator: aborgeas@csufresno.edu