Nathan Morales, a sophomore at Octorara High School and the son of Josh and Maggie Lee of Gap, has been granted a full scholarship to attend Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW). The weeklong economic education program offers students an inside look at the private enterprise system and the workings of the free market. Morales will attend Week 3 of the five, one-week sessions offered at Lycoming College.
Pennsylvania teachers and counselors recommend the candidates, who are then reviewed by the PFEW staff. Admission is based on motivation to learn as demonstrated through essays submitted by the applicants. Those accepted are awarded scholarships, which cover all program costs, excluding a nominal registration fee and transportation to and from Williamsport. When students arrive for their one-week session in July or August, they are housed on the campus in dormitories, where they experience a taste of college life.
During the week, students form companies that compete against each other for the equivalent of three years using a college-level simulation. The companies are evaluated on management skill, return on net assets, a marketing and advertising campaign, and a presentation to stockholders. Business volunteers serve as company advisers, suggesting available options and sharing their own experiences as students face many of the same decisions real executives confront every day. The competition is designed to help students learn the value of teamwork, communication, and leadership.
PFEW also features dozens of speakers presenting seminars and discussions on topics like the relationships of business with labor, government, and consumers. Students also hear talks about business ethics, management and leadership skills, the economic system future, the global marketplace, money and banking, business operations, careers in business, and marketable skills.
Now in its 40th year of operation, PFEW is entirely funded, taught, and staffed by the Pennsylvania business community. Its governing body is the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, a nonprofit organization. For more information, readers may contact the foundation at 814-833-9576 or visit http://www.pfew.org.
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