High school students looking to make their mark in the business world will want to attend the IDEA Bank’s Entrepreneurship Summer Camp and may earn $2,000 toward attending Troy University in the process.

The five-day camp will focus on developing business plans for each student’s area of interest and a one-day pitch competition to a diverse panel of expert judges will follow the camp. The grand prize for the winner: a $2,000 college scholarship to TROY.

“This is a great opportunity for young, aspiring entrepreneurs to receive expert assistance with their business planning to help make their goals a reality,” said IDEA Bank Director Lynne George.

The camp is limited to the first 20 applicants who apply by the June 17 deadline. The camp is July 11-15 at the IDEA Bank on the Square in downtown Troy, followed by the “Shark Tank”-type pitch competition on July 18.

The registration fee is $150 and includes all meals and materials for the students, as well as a closing reception on July 18. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for attendance. Learn more and apply at https://www.troy.edu/community-outreach/idea-bank/entrepreneurship-summer-camp.html.

Participants will learn principles of business planning, financial planning, law, marketing and brand development. The camp will also touch on the entrepreneurial mindset and confidence, pitching an idea, sales pitches, and professional communications. Experts in the development field will be hands-on in the instruction.

Co-sponsored with the Small Business Development Center at Troy University and the Wiregrass Resource Conservation and Development Council, the camp’s bottom line is to get participants ready to enter the marketplace, said Juliana Bolivar, Director of TROY’s SBDC.

“Entrepreneurship isn’t confined to certain ages. Often, younger people have great ideas and only need the tools to develop their idea in a solid, functional business,” she said. “That’s where we want to step in and help them develop the necessary skills to succeed.”