The DDQIC is committed to assessing the impact on the entrepreneurial mindset of youth in each of our programs. When DDQIC piloted the Future Leaders Initiative at Queen鈥檚 (FLIQ), a program supporting high school youth to develop entrepreneurial skills, we discovered there wasn鈥檛 a strong research foundation to draw from regarding entrepreneurship education for adolescent youth. To deeply understand FLIQ鈥檚 impact and contribute to the body of knowledge on entrepreneurship education for adolescents, DDQIC has established the following research partnerships.
QEval:
DDQIC was selected as a community partner for QEval, a joint course by Queen鈥檚 University and the University of Alberta. A team of 5 students developed a program evaluation framework to assess the impact of the FLIQ program that included a logic model and evaluation questions we can implement for the next cohort launching in August 2024.
Enactus Faculty Advisor Research Fund Award:
Joanna Tinus, Faculty Advisor for Enactus Queen鈥檚, and Dr. Saad Chahine from Queen鈥檚 University Faculty of Education teamed up to compete for the Enactus Faculty Advisor Research Fund. They were awarded approximately $9,000 to conduct a research study on the Future Leaders Initiative in 2024-2025 that will develop appropriate indicators for measuring entrepreneurial mindset changes in youth 14-18, and determine how FLIQ increases entrepreneurial self-efficacy in youth.
SSHRC-funded Joint Study with UNESCO:
Dr. Saad Chahine of the Faculty of Education has partnered with UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean and DDQIC to pursue a SSHRC-funded study investigating the impact of entrepreneurship training on youth in global contexts. DDQIC鈥檚 entrepreneurship curriculum is being provided for youth skill development at international sites including Vietnam and Nigeria. The data analysis will provide a global perspective on the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs.
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC) is dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students and the wider community. Through various programs and initiatives, DDQIC supports the development of entrepreneurial skills and provides resources for aspiring entrepreneurs to succeed.
For more information, visit the DDQIC Website.