Flagler students represent US in Berlin

Priscilla Proctor, Coordinator of College and Public Relations, reported to Historic City News that Flagler College’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has made its way to Berlin, Germany, to compete in SIFE’s World Cup during October 4th through 6th.

The team will make its first presentation in the opening round on Monday, Oct. 5.

Teams from 40 countries including Brazil, China, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and Japan will compete for the title of SIFE world champion. There are more than 1,000 students taking part in the World Cup.

Flagler is representing the United States after winning the SIFE USA National Competition in Philadelphia this past May. Executives from companies around the country judged 118 teams at that competition, which included SIFE teams from Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida and two-time World Cup champion Drury University.

Flagler’s SIFE team is no stranger to the World Cup — the group won the national title and came in second in the world in 2004.

SIFE is a global nonprofit organization active on more than 1,400 college campuses in more than 48 countries and territories. Student teams develop projects to help create economic opportunity by teaching concepts related to free market economics, business ethics, entrepreneurship, personal finance and success skills.

FCSIFE worked on about 20 projects during the past year, according to Jessica Welch, president of FCSIFE. She said two projects in particular stand out. One is an ethics training video created for the 9,000 employees and franchise owners of Winmark Corp. The other is Suruwat, a success skills and financial literacy program for Nepalese refugees living in the United States.

Photo credit: © 2009 Historic City News contributed photograph