Echo Boomers: Pay hundreds now or thousands later

Seattle, Washington — International Business Week Association (IBWA) leaders from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand will meet in Seattle, in October. Attendees will share this year’s successes and plan for next year’s business week boot camp programs for high school kids.

“These programs really help teenagers get a jumpstart on their careers and their introduction to the world of business,” said the host state's executive director, Stephen Hyer. “Unless someone is a hermit, it’s impossible to avoid the world of business and the influence it has on the culture in the United States and countries around the globe. The skills and knowledge the program participants take with them will help them be productive throughout their lives. My biggest hope is that our business week kids’ time at a program will reinforce a love of learning they will carry with them the rest of their lives.”

The importance of business education has drawn national attention. A recent AP article explains what a number of colleges and universities have done to address graduates the article identifies as “clueless.” (See “Business Boot Camp for the Clueless” at WWW.BizKids.biz.)

Many non-business college graduates have found getting a job without knowledge of business is tough. So, several years ago, Fordham University created a summer crash course to address the problem. Today, many universities, such as Southern Methodist University, Vanderbilt University and Stanford University, have addressed their "clueless" alumni by creating business crash courses, too. Recent graduates can attend the four-week, non-credit; cram courses for only $8,000. The 2005 summer program at Stanford had 135 enrollees.

Stephen Hyer continued, “The high school business week programs are constantly changing and growing. At the request of graduates, many state business week programs have added advanced sessions.” So, Echo Boomers who attended the first week of a program have the opportunity to attend a second week the following summer. The second year programs are modeled after MBA courses. Feedback from the kids and what they have taken from the programs is rewarding. Many students are surprised to find their beliefs and opinions about business drastically altered. Students' interests have been piqued in such areas as finance, marketing, management, problem solving, leadership, team building and a whole array of new disciplines. There’s one thing the business week graduates all share — they will never look at the future and the business world in quite the same way.”

About the International Business Week Association
IBWA is an association of independent, non-profit, state and international organizations dedicated to the introduction of young people to entrepreneurship, the free enterprise system and the world of business. Parties interested in obtaining information about establishing a business week program can send their request for information to: info@BizKids.biz.

Parties interested in learning more about the individual business week programs in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand can obtain information from the International Directory of Business Week Boot Camps at WWW.BizKids.biz.