Priscilla Proctor informed Historic City News reporters that in competition on March 21st in Charlotte, the Flagler College Students in Free Enterprise team has advanced from regional to national competition.
Emily Marcellus, president of Flagler SIFE, said that this year’s theme for the competition was “To Empower the People in Hastings to Empower Themselves.”
“This year, our goal is to bring the town of Hastings back to life socially, economically and environmentally,” said Marcellus.
The team has been working on several projects including “Opportunities Unlimited,” the “Conservation Cadets Project” and “Containers for a Cause.”
Through the Flagler Community Reach Out Program [C.R.O.P.], the Flagler SIFE team won a $2,000 Wal-Mart Women’s Economic Empowerment Grant.
“We used the grant money for our ‘Opportunities Unlimited’ project,” said Marcellus. “We are hosting business seminars, and in culmination with the project, we are working with at-risk young women to help them understand the social aspects of the business world.”
Flagler SIFE will provide the young women with a budget to shop for a business outfit, will teach them proper etiquette at a fine dining restaurant, and share other business skills so that they may learn how to represent themselves as candidates for jobs.
“Containers for a Cause” has been one of the leading projects for the team this year, and it is the first vocational training program for the Hastings Youth Academy, a correctional facility for young men between ages 13 to 18.
The Flagler SIFE team is working in conjunction with the academy to convert a shipping container into an affordable home. The first container will be given to a young quadriplegic who will use the container for a home and physical therapy room.
“Containers for a Cause has three entrepreneurial components,” said Donna DeLorenzo, executive director of College Relations and co-advisor for the Flagler SIFE team. “We are helping the environment by giving new life to the containers; youth offenders have the opportunity to learn vocational skills; and the transformed container will provide a new home for someone in need.”
Marcellus said that the [Flagler] SIFE team is looking forward to the national competition.
“Competing in the regional competition in Charlotte was an incredible experience,” she said. “We have a young team this year, and for most members, this was the first competition they have attended. The competition had an incredible impact on each person. We are energized and are prepping for the National Exposition.”
The team will head to Minneapolis in May to compete for the national title. Flagler SIFE is no stranger to the contest. The group won the national title in 2004 and 2009 and came in second in the world in 2005. They have won 11 of the last 12 regional competitions.
SIFE is an international nonprofit organization active on more than 1,500 university campuses in 39 countries. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities be organizing outreach projects that focus on market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial skills and business ethics. SIFE teaches students the positive power of businesses through service learning. For more information, visit www.flaglersife.com
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