How High School Students Can Get Hands-On Business Experience
As students’ curriculums are constantly increasing emphasis on creativity, entrepreneurship is emerging amongst today’s youth. Many students have brilliant and innovative ideas, but have trouble finding a means to share them. There are business clubs such as FBLA and DECA in place at some high schools, but not all students have access to these opportunities. Furthermore, business conferences often cost upwards of hundreds of dollars and can be a hefty fee for students who simply want to tap into their entrepreneurial spirit. Luckily, there are many accessible, hands on opportunities for students that test their creativity and management skills.
Nonprofits
Nonprofits are a great way for any student involved with volunteer work to expand on their passion. Many successful nonprofits were started by idealistic, imaginative high school and college students. One famous example that epitomizes a student-run organization is the Food Recovery Network, a nonprofit that began at the University of Maryland. A group of students noticed the wasteful disposal of extra food, and after learning the proper public health rules and policies, were able to package and donate the extra food to the homeless. Now there are 230 chapters and more than 2 million pounds of food recovered across the United States. The initial concept of properly managing waste was able to benefit thousands of shelters and give 1.8 million meals.
One great aspect about nonprofits that pertains to students is the accessibility. As seen by the Food Recovery Network, the key features of a successful nonprofit are the willingness to solve problems in one's community and having a group of people who mutually believe in the cause. The rewards of starting your own nonprofit include practice in networking, responsibility in handling money and supplies, and subsequently given the opportunity to fuel change in our society. Throughout the process of creating a nonprofit, creators can really learn and understand each stage of an organization from a firsthand perspective. The benefits that students reap are boundless when it comes to being involved in nonprofit organization work.
If starting an organization from scratch seems daunting, there are many other ways students are able to make positive change in their community. Emily Yuan, a junior at Richard Montgomery High School, started the nonprofit SEDAA (Student Eating Disorder Awareness Association) as a subsidiary of NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association). “Over the summer, me and Grace realized how big of an issue eating disorders are, and yet, so little is done at our school to educate and raise awareness about eating disorders. We decided to take on this task and start SEDAA! It’s extremely rewarding to see so many people interested in this cause and to help them find an issue they really want to tackle. SEDAA taught me that leadership requires a lot of organization and planning for events to be successful.” Yuan said. “I also learned that it’s very important to assign individuals to do different tasks so the work is divided more evenly and more can get done.” Organizations such as SEDAA can be helpful education supplements that give students a chance to take what is taught in school and apply it in real life situations. Many schools start clubs such as UNICEF, Red Cross, and Key Club that can teach essential leadership skills but still run under a larger sector. Working within a nonprofit can relieve many of the pressures associated with management while still giving students the opportunity to learn about partnership, service, and communication.
Businesses
Starting a business is a definite entrance into the realm of entrepreneurship. Young students are given the ability to assert their financial literacy and learn the responsibilities of management. The difference between a business and nonprofit is the aspect of financial distribution. While it sounds self explanatory, businesses require heavy investment. The benefits of a business include more executive power on branding and funding, but also requires a large deal of commitment and careful decision making.
The boundaries on student run businesses cease to exist. Many students can take a simple task, such as making bracelets, and create a brand out of it. You also never know when a sudden inspiration can lead to an invention. Insomnia Cookies, the delectable corner store around many campuses, was started by Seth Berkowitz, a University of Pennsylvania student who simply wanted a fun late night snack. It’s really amazing to see what students are capable of creating when they have the courage to take an idea make it something big.
Thanks to technological advancements, there are a multitude of different ways for students to promote their businesses. Social media catalyzes many of the most popular trends to reach younger audiences, and advertisements or sponsorships are becoming more tangible as companies attempt to increase their branding. The interdependence of small businesses on each other drives the market nowadays, making it easier for students to start one of their own.
Internships
Of course, an entrepreneurial background could also include the classic internship. Although it can be a daunting task to search for an internship, the emergence of start ups provides a great way for prospective business students to find an internship or job. These small businesses are often looking for new members to join their team, so don’t be afraid to reach out to any local shops to offer your service; they will likely be impressed by your tenacity and motivation! Businesses of all types could have availabilities for internships. In fact, information technology (IT) companies often look for student interns who will help promote their apps and products.
If you’re having trouble on your search, a college or career counselor at your school will often have many resources to guide you along this process. There are plenty of virtual opportunities too, including social media and marketing internships that can help students who want a background related to communications. All in all, business is such a wide field, so there are bound to be valuable business internships you didn’t expect. Just be alert for any opportunities that suit you and your interests.
