The mission of the The Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP) is to empower youth to learn the ropes of social entrepreneurship by owning and operating their own healthy vending business in the comfort of their school and with the support of their peers, school staff and the HUMAN Healthy Vending internal team. The school receives the equipment, curriculum and initial product mix for absolutely free, and retains 100% of the revenues and profits that the program generates to fund school programs that support healthful eating habits and improved student health. Students get real-world entrepreneurial experience and learn what it means to own their own business, something most students never experience in the forgiving environment of an educational institution. The students learn about accounting, merchandising, marketing and promotions, inventory control, machine maintenance and technology and everything else typical HUMAN franchisees experience as full-time healthy vending operator partners.

More About the YEP

Equally as important, the YEP curriculum provides students with a nutritional education that they absorb and learn to pass-along and promote to their friends. This way, the students are promoting the healthful foods in the vending machines to their peers, and the healthy vending program is maximally successful due to the overwhelming sense of ownership by the students and school.

The YEP teaches students how to make a thriving business that also works to solve a social inequity or challenge. HUMAN machines teach children that you can even revolutionize an entire industry – such as the vending industry, which has typically worked against the better health of the nation – and turn it into something that provides wellness to the population. Nothing is off limits.

In summary, with the YEP, students gain valuable real-life lessons on how to own and operate a social enterprise, while the school benefits from keeping 100% of the machine’s profits, not to mention the value of having more engaged and socially conscious students! It’s a win-win for everyone involved.