EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College are teaming up to host the fifth annual Bold Futures event on Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Washtenaw Community College Crane Liberal Arts building, located at 4800 E Huron River Dr. in Ann Arbor.

The free event is open to high school students ages 14-18. It will allow participants to work with other students, local business owners, and facilitators from EMU, U-M and WCC to identify community problems, develop potential solutions, and pitch those solutions to business and non-profit leaders.

Bold Futures is hosted by EMU and U-M’s Optimize programs, and WCC’s Entrepreneurship Center. Optimize is a student-led organization that offer workshops, mentorship and funding for students to create self-directed projects that make a positive impact. The WCC Entrepreneurship Center is a resource hub that supports individuals in developing their entrepreneurial capacity

“Bold Futures helped me see problems as not just problems, but as an opportunity to find possible solutions,” said Mohamed Said, an EMU student and President/Community Engagement of Optimize Eastern. “It is a day where students focus on real-world obstacles and strive to find solutions to them through visioning and idea validation, providing high school students with an understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset and how to apply it in the future to help address the issues in their communities. We look forward to welcoming the 2019 Bold Futures class and helping them to solve real-world problems.”

Those interested in registering for the 2019 Bold Futures can register online through Monday, Aug. 19. 

To learn more about Optimize Eastern, visit the website. To learn more about U-M’s optiMize program, visit https://www.optimizemi.org/. To learn more about WCC’s Entrepreneurship Center, visit http://ec.wccnet.edu/.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.