Sundance Vacations recently sponsored four students in order for them to attend Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW) that was held over the summer.
David Oley, from Dallas High School in Dallas, Pa., Jacob Hoover, from MMI Prepatory School in Hazleton, Pa., Joey Kress, another student from MMI Prep, and Joshua Narrow, also from MMI Prep, were selected to receive the scholarships to attend the fourth and final week of the events that were held from August 2 through 8 at both Lycoming College and the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pa.
Students that attended the PFEW saw and put on presentations, learned networking skills, listened to speakers, discovered what it takes to operate a business and lived on a college campus for an entire week.
These skills are something that student Joshua Narrow says will assist him in more than just the workplace.
“I’ve acquired skills that will help me in many aspects of life,” Narrow said in a letter he sent to Sundance Vacations. “This has been more than a business experience, it has changed my view of the world. During the presentations, I received feedback that will ensure my success as a future entrepreneur. The campus we were hosted at is truly beautiful and living in a dorm has certainly helped prepare me for my own college experience.”
Students were grouped up with other peers and assigned duties within a company. They designed products, developed marketing plans and monitored results, which they later presented to others and business professionals. The attendees were then given valuable feedback about their presentations and were able to receive constructive pointers from people who work in business everyday.
The students from MMI Prep, Hoover, Kress and Narrow, attended the events at Lycoming College while the lone student from Dallas, Oley, took part in the events at the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
The cost to sponsor a single student is $575, which means that not everyone has an opportunity to experience what the PFEW has to offer.
David Oley says that he is thankful for the chance to go to such a great event and would tell other students about how great of a learning tool it was.
“Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week has provided me with so many opportunities and experiences that I never would have had otherwise,” Oley said of the camp. “I am definitely going to recommend it to anyone I know because it’s not just for business people, its’ for everyone and anyone. The lessons they teach are universally true and I have learned so much. This is truly a great program for young men and women and I can’t thank [Sundance Vacations] enough.”
Business skills are something that can be translated across many platforms. Even if you don’t own your own business, chances are that you will either work with one or for one at some point in the future. Having a better understanding of how they operate will only help these students gain a better understanding of how the world works.
According to Sundance Vacations Co-Founder Tina Dowd, in addition to learning how a businesses works, students also need to know essential life skills that schools aren’t necessarily teaching right now.
“There are definitely some business concepts that are missing in schools,” Dowd said. “Kids need to be taught about how to buy or lease a car, negotiate important sales and how to understand mortgages and interest. These are very basic concepts that every citizen needs to know, but are completely missed in the traditional curriculum.
“I think some kids today have a misconception that owning their own business will be easy. The PFEW business simulation gives kids an opportunity to try out some business roles. The short time frame of the camp helps to simulate the fast-paced environment and pressure that business owners operate in. When we started Sundance Vacations we did not have the benefit of any previous business experience, so we had to learn from our mistakes.”
To learning more about the Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week, please visit their website at: www.pfew.org
Read the full letters from the students below:
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