Highlights: Spring Events

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Highlights: Spring Events

Virtual Enterprises, International Trade Fair

The sixth annual Virtual Enterprises, International Trade Fair was held on April 10, 2003. The Trade Fair is the "hallmark" component of the Virtual Enterprise/practice firm program. It provides students with the opportunity to showcase and market the products and services of their virtual business as they compete side by side with their local, national and international peers in a simulated, global marketplace. Students demonstrate their skills, knowledge and diverse talents in entrepreneurship, communications, computer technology, and global business management.

This year's event was held at the 69th Street Regiment Armory in Manhattan. Russell Simmons, CEO of Rush Communications led the opening ceremony. Student merchants developed colorful and imaginative marketing campaigns for the fair complete with costumes, props, and engaging routines. The excitement in the Armory was palpable as students converged on would-be customers with enthusiasm and sophistication. Over 2000 students participated in the event from across the United States.

Winners:

Best Booth – Dough Delights (Martin Van Buren High School)
Best Sales Presentation – The Printing Depot (Fort Hamilton High School)
Best Catalog – Filmcom (High School of Arts and Business)
Best Web Site – Future Mindz (Grace Dodge Vocational

New York City Graphic Communication Arts Competition
The Second Annual New York City Graphic Communication Arts Competition was held on April 16, 2003, at New York City College of Technology-CUNY, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. The competition brought together 35 competitors from 9 different high schools in the City of New York. The competition included contests in Photography, Electronic Imaging (Desktop Publishing) and Offset Printing. This competition represented a true partnership between business and industry, secondary educators, students and post-secondary education.

The competition was open to all New York City Public High Schools that have a Graphic Arts program. Participating schools were Bushwick High School, Art & Design High School, Samuel Gompers High School, Thomas Edison High School, Francis Lewis High School, John Bowne High School, Fashion Industries High School, High School of Graphic Communication Arts, and Curtis High School.

A highlight of the competition for the teachers and school representatives was a round table discussion with prominent industry leaders in the graphic arts. They spent time explaining current industry trends in the graphic arts and describing the skills that will be necessary for the future. Graphic Business & Industry leaders included: Roger Diaz, Chair of the New York City Advisory Commission on Graphic Communications; Bill Dirzulatis, AGC Consultant & Vice Chair of the NYC Graphic Communications Arts Commission; Lloyd Carr, Graphic Arts Department Head at the New York City College of Technology; Jack Kott, of the Navigators and Bergazyn & Son, Inc.

Hi Fives at the FIRST Robotics Competition
John Whitehead, Chairman of the Goldman Sachs Foundation and Sanda Balaban, FIRST Project Officer, congratulate winning teams at the 2003 New York City FIRST Robotics Competition at Riverbank State Park March 22-23, 2003. The Goldman Sachs Foundation sponsored this "olympics of the mind" for the third year in a row in New York City. With Whitehead and Balaban is Mike Flanigan (JP Morgan Chase), Walter Shay (Consolidated Edison), and Connie Crawford (New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority). FIRST Robotics is an activity of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a non-profit based in Manchester, NH. The program was introduced in New York City by the New York Citywide School to Work Alliance in 1998, as a vehicle to forge meaningful school-business partnerships, and is now housed at Polytechnic University.

What people are saying about the impact of the FIRST program:
" The impact of the competition has been visible in the enthusiasm of our Advisory Board members. The provided the much-needed financial support and had an opportunity to mentor and work with our students during every stage of the competition." Marie Ann Hawthorne, Samuel Gompers High School, Bronx

" We… have welcomed the FIRST Competition as a means to encourage professional development and to increase learning standards and project based learning for our students. As a direct result of this initiative our school has become a participant in Project Lead the Way, a 4 year program consisting of engineering, design, manufacturing, and robotics curriculum. " James Reilly, George Westinghouse High School, Brooklyn

" Participation is not so much about winning as much as it is about learning and impacting the lives of students… We have challenged girls to consider engineering as a career and some are currently pursuing engineering as a major in college. Low achieving students have found a niche on the team. They believe that a career in technology is a possibility. Students are excited about learning. I believe that they have 'caught the vision'" Aurelia Curtis, Curtis High School, Staten Island

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Summer 2003 Issue

> Fourteen Outstanding School-Business Partnerships Honored at Annual Reception

> Highlights: Spring Events

> School to Work Alliance Launches School-Business Partnership Building Workbook