Butler County Community College and Community Partnership Inc. in June will launch a nine-week online program offering participants the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, earn four grant-funded BC3 business credits and a chance to receive a scholarship to complete a resume-building BC3 workplace certificate.

The CO.STARTERS Entrepreneurship Certificate program, funded through a federal Community Services Block Grant received by Community Partnership Inc., will be held June 15 to Aug. 17.

The program and its workbook are free to Butler County residents whose household income does not exceed 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines, which for a single person is $25,520 annually, for two is $34,480 and for three is $43,440.

Those who live outside of Butler County or whose income exceeds 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines must pay $125 for the program workbook.

CO.STARTERS is intended to remove social and educational barriers to enterprise development for low- to moderate-income individuals and families, said Sandra Curry, program instructor and community partnership manager.

Participants in the program will attend a three-hour weekly live online class, instructed by Curry and featuring guest speakers. Participants will have an average of three hours of online fieldwork between meetings, Curry said.

Business topics in the program vary from working styles, team-building and obstacles to raising capital, growth plans and goal-setting.

Participants who finish the CO.STARTERS Entrepreneurship Certificate program’s nationally recognized and licensed introductory entrepreneurship curriculum will earn a noncredit BC3 Certificate of Completion through the college’s Workforce Development division’s professional education and certificates, and four BC3 credits in introduction to entrepreneurship and in financial literacy.

Enrollment is limited to 15 participants.

Five full-tuition scholarships funded by Community Partnership Inc. will be awarded to Butler County residents who complete the program and applicable toward earning the additional 12 credits for a BC3 workplace certificate in entrepreneurship, which includes courses such as the business plan, marketing and speech.

The five scholarship recipients will also receive case management services from the Center for Community Resources, access to childcare subsidies, financial literacy training and a year’s worth of personal business mentorship in their field or a related field, Curry said.

Prospective participants can register for the CO.STARTERS Entrepreneurship Certificate program at bc3.edu/costarters. The deadline to register is Saturday.

For more information, contact Curry at 724-931-3100.

Bill Foley is the coordinator of news and media content at Butler County Community College.