An innovative environment allowing students to explore different interests and passions. Classes are facilitated as learning labs with a focus on student leadership. We collaborate with community members to develop long-lasting connections.

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor is changing! We are no longer the separate Idea Institute. We are now an academic program at Western Washington University under the College of Business and Economics. This change will allow us to better serve the students at WWU. We look forward to better collaboration and resource sharing with the university, while still being deeply involved with the community at large.

    We believe that understanding the foundations of entrepreneurship can only come with experience. That’s why we emphasize hands-on learning to continuously practice the skills we learn. Instead of a traditional lecture class, our meeting times are structured as a collaborative learning lab. We not only collaborate within the classroom, but also within the university, within the Bellingham community, and with the entrepreneurial community at large. We collaborate both to develop our skills and to help others where we can.

The ventures our students create are varied and diverse. Ventures include both profit and not for profit enterprises. They range from small in-home events, to large fundraisers. From selling small handmade products, to tiny home building projects. The process of change-making can be applied everywhere, to anything.

Here is a link to our google drive showcasing our work https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bVvzbnXnpXIlazpW2-oOiOeVZTGfjxuF?usp=sharing