Who can get involved in Global Entrepreneurship Week?

Anybody. Anywhere. Anytime. Organizations can get involved in a variety of capacities - planning local activities as a Partner, promoting the initiative as a Global Associate, or coordinating the initiative for a participating country as a Lead Host. Young people interested in exploring their ideas and making them happen can do so face-to-face and online - with thousands of activities happening around the world and a social networking website to find new ideas at the intersection of cultures and disciplines. Existing entrepreneurs can mentor aspiring entrepreneurs and share their experience at local activities. How you get involved is up to you.

Why run a Global Entrepreneurship Week activity?

We need people and organizations to help create an environment that allows enterprising behavior to flourish. It is important that young people believe in themselves and strive to make their ideas happen, and they deserve encouragement and support. The drive to nurture enterprising behavior needs business, education, government, voluntary organizations and the media to work together - no single sector or organization working in isolation can create opportunities on this ambitious scale. Global Entrepreneurship Week is a great opportunity to showcase what thousands of organizations already do to help foster a culture that embraces innovation, imagination and creativity.

What do you mean by being enterprising?

We mean to have ideas and make them happen. Webster's defines enterprising as marked by an independent, energetic spirit and by readiness to act.' The package of skills we are seeking to encourage are:

• Opportunity recognition;
• Creativity;
• Problem solving;
• Risk taking;
• Resourcefulness; and,
• Passion for ideas.

Young people can use these skills in many areas of their life: at work, at home, or in school.

How much does it really take to be a Host?

Organizations can serve as a Host without committing a substantial amount of resources - either financially or in terms of human resources. For example, in the United States earlier this year, there were more than 3,700 events that occurred and our organization only planned four. Ideally, you would have one person who could be devoted full time to the project. However, it can be done with a collection of individuals working part-time and dividing responsibilities. The key is to leverage existing networks and relationships throughout your organization to recruit as many Partner organizations (those who will plan at least one activity during the Week) as early as possible. An added benefit is that there are likely to be multiple Hosts per country -- sharing responsibilities and pooling resources. And of course, the global branding, marketing and media effort will increase awareness and likely provide Hosts with an enthusiastic base of Partners and interested individuals all actively looking to get involved.