Lincoln College, Land of Lincoln CEO Program announce partnership
Logan County students will learn how to become entrepreneurs and succeed here

[September 23, 2014]  LINCOLN - Lincoln College is proud to announce its new partnership with the Land of Lincoln CEO program, where organizers hope to put Logan County students on a path to become successful entrepreneurs here locally.

The Land of Lincoln CEO program is modeled after successful offerings in Effingham and Springfield, where local businesses sponsor a fully interactive, year-long series of classes for local high school students to learn what it takes to run a successful business – by starting up their own from scratch and taking it to the local marketplace.

Students from high schools around Logan County next year will come together every weekday morning to learn from an experienced instructor, make workplace visits around the county and develop new businesses of their own. The Lincoln and Logan County Chamber of Commerce is working with Lincoln Community High School and local successful entrepreneur Patrick Doolin to get the program going, with support from the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Lincoln College is one of the first sponsors for the program committing resources over the next three years to help it get off the ground. The college sees many parallels to the kind of experience LC offers, helping students find the right path forward for them and challenging them to not just think, but to do. College officials are working with CEO organizers on a number of ways to engage the students, beyond the financial support.

“When Patrick first approached us about supporting the Land of Lincoln CEO program, it didn’t take us long to say yes,” said John Blackburn, Lincoln College’s president. “There are so many kids around here who don’t realize all of the great things our county employers offer. We will do whatever is possible to help these students succeed in this innovative program, and we look forward to showing them what Lincoln College can offer once they graduate.”

Doolin said organizers appreciate the earnest support from sponsors like Lincoln College and looks forward to seeing the impact the program has on changing students’ lives, as it has in the other communities where it is active now.

Doolin notes the CEO program still needs sponsors from local businesses, as it builds its governing board, hires an instructor and recruits its inaugural class by the spring.

“So many of these students don’t know what they’re capable of doing when they have the right focus and the right opportunity. And too often in Logan County, they graduate and leave the area without realizing all of the great opportunities they have to succeed in college and beyond right here,” Doolin said. “I’m excited to help bring the CEO program here to change minds and show that when good partners like Lincoln College and our local businesses work together to help our next generation, everyone wins.”

[Text received; RYAN KEITH, RK PR SOLUTIONS]