The Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation is currently accepting applications for Entrepreneurship Immersion Week, an entrepreneurial boot camp the week of August 7.

The event, which is hosted by the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium, brings teams of five students from nine area schools to compete in a business conception competition and learn business skills.

Denise Easterling, Kent State entrepreneurship instructor, said the event is open to students of all majors.

“You don’t need a business background to successfully participate in this event,” Easterling said. “As a matter of fact, it’s often the non-business majors who come up with the most interesting business concepts at this entrepreneurship boot camp.”

Those selected to fill the five spots on Kent State’s team will receive free program tuition, room, board, admissions fees and textbooks. The event will be held at Ashland University, which is about 65 miles southwest of Kent. In addition to the team of five, two students will also be selected as alternatives.

Julie Messing, entrepreneurship instructor and director of CEBI, said Immersion Week will provide many benefits to participants.

“There are educational elements each day of the program,” Messing said, “and the networking is unbeatable. They will network with entrepreneurs, investors and others involved in the entrepreneurial space.”

Messing said there will also be social opportunities for the participants to build relationships with students from the eight other campuses. Messing said past social opportunities included going to a Cleveland Indians game or a murder mystery dinner theater.

“We assume they don’t have a lot of business courses, so we teach them all elements,” Messing said. “There will be a marketing session, a funding a business session, ethics and leadership, making your pitch and a putting together an effective presentation session all during the week.”

Messing said last year, Kent took third place in the business concept competition.

“We’ve yet to take first, but we’ve taken second,” Messing said.

According to the program’s website, the winning team will get an award package with cash and other gifts.

Easterling said students interested in applying for Immersion week can go to the CEBI website for an application.

Applications can be submitted to Business Administration Building Room 320 or to the John S. Brinzo Entrepreneurship Lab. Easterling said she will also personally accept applications through April 27.

For more information, Easterling said interested students should contact her at [email protected] or by phone at 330-672-9432.

Contact Lyndsey Sager at [email protected].