Free Video Series Teaches Indiana Teens Entrepreneurship

High school students in Northwest Indiana can now learn what it really takes to build a business from the people who've done it.

Purdue Northwest's Society of Innovators just completed the Spark Series, a collection of 11 free video lessons now available to any teacher or community program. Each episode runs 12 to 15 minutes and features a local entrepreneur sharing their real journey, from launching products to building values-driven companies.

The series pairs each video with discussion guides and classroom activities designed to fit a single class period. Teachers don't need special training or expensive materials. Everything is ready to use, free, and available online.

Kris Fleming teaches entrepreneurship at Hanover Central High School and was among the first to test the videos. "The kids loved them," she said. Her students weren't just watching passively. They were genuinely engaged, hearing directly from people who turned ideas into reality.

The entrepreneurs featured aren't celebrities from Silicon Valley. They're Northwest Indiana changemakers who've been recognized by the Society of Innovators over the past two decades. Their stories cover practical topics like understanding customers, recognizing opportunities, and leading with values.

The Ripple Effect

The Spark Series represents more than free educational content. It's creating a direct bridge between working entrepreneurs and the next generation of innovators in communities that don't always see themselves in traditional business education.

By featuring local voices, the videos show students that entrepreneurship isn't something that happens elsewhere to other people. It's happening in their own region, by people who look like them and face similar challenges.

The series is part of SparkED, a broader initiative to strengthen youth entrepreneurship education across Northwest Indiana. Jason Williams, CEO of the Society of Innovators, says they're turning innovation from something abstract into something students can see and imagine for themselves.

Early classroom results suggest they're succeeding. Teachers report that students are connecting entrepreneurial concepts to their own lives in ways textbooks never achieved. The documentary style makes each story feel personal and possible.

All 11 episodes, along with complete lesson materials and teacher guides, are now available at the Society of Innovators website. Any educator or community program can access them immediately at no cost.

Northwest Indiana students now have a classroom window into entrepreneurship that feels less like a lecture and more like a conversation with a mentor.