Notis Pagiavlas provides instruction to students in the TEAM UP project.
For many high school students, getting a grasp of financial literacy concepts, picking a career or starting a business can be quite challenging even with strong family support. The challenge becomes even greater if the student is in foster care. But a new project spearheaded by Winston-Salem State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship to provide career information and exposure to entrepreneurial opportunities for high school students in foster care will make their challenge less daunting.
The Teens Engaged in Aspiring Mentorships – an Uplifting Partnership (TEAM-UP) project is a week-long (June 12-19) program immersing 45 foster care children from five counties into an environment to influence their decisions to finish high school and pursue productive careers and life options, through a blend of educational and social activities to enhance awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of what it takes to succeed within the free enterprise system.
The project is supported through a series of grants from Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) and its Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) program, BB&T, DataMax Foundation, the S.G. Atkins CDC, and Social Services via the LINKS program. The students will be treated to overnight stays at the Children’s Home-Brantley Retreat Center, continental breakfasts, shopping trips to area malls to hone their budgeting skills while performing marketing analyses, instruction in financial literacy, budgeting, use of technology and personal credit, excursions to theme parks, area businesses and state legislative offices.
Beverly Johnson Lindsay, an instructor in the management department of WSSU's School of Business and Economics, lends a helping hand with instruction.
In addition, these students will be exposed to entrepreneurial opportunities, career games, instructed in leadership attributes, teamwork, project management, personal responsibility and the opportunity to shadow area entrepreneurs. A highlight of the project is a game show designed by Notis Pagiavlas, an associate professor of marketing in WSSU’s School of Business and Economics and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. The show is titled “Guess What I Do For a Living” and will give students an opportunity to engage professionals from various knowledge-based industry clusters and learn about what each occupation requires to succeed and prosper.
“Nearly two years ago WSSU shared this vision with the community and it is shaping up to be as good as we dreamed it,” said Pagiavlas. “My hope is that volunteers from the community will support what we are trying to accomplish. We really need them to make this program work.”
Participants in the program are high school juniors and seniors and range in age from 16 to 18 years old. Their selection is based on their age, level of maturity, level of participation in local LINKS programs and services, their availability to participate in pre and post week educational activities, and a written essay justifying his or her selection.
For more information about the project contact Dr. Pagiavlas at 336-692-5272 or email him at pagiavlasno@wssu.edu
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.