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Teenage Apprentices To Earn MBAs At Capitalist Boot Camp

Ambitious high school students will earn an MBA degree this summer at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. The Master Business Apprentice (MBA) degree will be conferred on students who will spend a week in July on the Findlay campus competing - and completing - a number of exercises. The candidates will participate in experiential and class study based on MBA-type, college-level coursework. A number of the students' activities are based on the TV-series "The Apprentice."

The Ohio Business Week Foundation is adding a second year to its Ohio Business Week (OBW) high school student program. Currently, first-year students spend a week on campus at either the University of Findlay, or Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. First year students learn principals of entrepreneurship and are introduced to the free enterprise system through a business creation project.

The new weeklong Master Business Apprentice-Capitalist Boot Camp session will build on the participants' experience, knowledge and skills acquired during their first summer at Ohio Business Week.

"This unique MBA-type program for teenagers is the only one we know of in the country," says Nancy Whetstone, executive director of the Ohio Business Week Foundation.

"For a number of years, OBW graduates have been asking for a more in-depth program," Whetstone said. "This new program will challenge them in a number of disciplines. Graduates from the first week's program were surveyed about their interests for a second year program. The survey findings indicated their interest in developing soft skills in such disciplines as public speaking, business etiquette, project management and conflict resolution. We believe the students have identified a valuable component of their career-building skills."

First year participants at Ohio Business Week are grouped into groups forming companies consisting of ten students. Each company has a business professional who acts as a facilitator, coach and advisor. The students create an imaginary product or service, then construct a business plan for their companies. The business plan includes a marketing campaign with print advertising, a radio spot or a TV ad. The plan must also include financial information that demonstrates an understanding of basic accounting and business practices. Each company must prepare a cash flow statement, an income and expense statement and a balance sheet. The week concludes with a formal presentation of each business plan to a panel of business professionals who evaluate and critique the plans.

In the new MBA-Capitalist Boot Camp program, candidates will participate in the development, execution and completion of a number of projects. Students will campaign and negotiate with their fellow team members to serve as a Project Manager on the different projects. The projects include team building exercises, ad/infomercial creation, presentation skills, business etiquette, business case analysis, conflict resolution, project management, goal setting and the creation of personal mission statements.

Parents and students interested in learning more about the Ohio Week Business program can obtain information from the official website at www.OhioBusinessWeek.org.

Interested parties can also contact the Ohio Business Week Foundation at(888) 377-7414.

About the Ohio Business Week Foundation

The Ohio Business Week Foundation is a 503(c) non-profit corporation created in 1989 to introduce high school students to entrepreneurship and the free enterprise system. Clay Mathile, former CEO of IAMS, was instrumental in the creation of the program. Since inception, Ohio Business Week has provided real world, hands-on business experience to over 4700 students. The Foundation is entirely funded by private donations. No government, local, state, or federal, funding is accepted. All support for Ohio Business Week is derived from companies, charitable trusts, individuals and non-profit organizations such as community service clubs.