Business+Week

  During Business Week and in a project-based learning environment, the entire sophomore class of Neshannock High School is divided into groups. Each group serves as the new management team for a fictitious company that has not been performing well. The students run the company for 12 business quarters in an attempt to make the company profitable. As the new management team, the students must make decisions involving production, research and development, marketing and all of the other areas involved with running a company. This is all accomplished with the help of volunteer business people and teachers who act as business advisors.  Americans for the Competitive Enterprise System (ACES) and many local businesses sponsor and partner with schools to provide this rich educational experience for students.

Throughout the course of the week, the students prepare for several competitions, such as advertising and marketing, stockholders, and a trade show that will take place on the last day of the week.

An Awards Ceremony tajes place at the very end of the project and names a winning team of students based on their efforts and results in running a successful company.

What makes **Pennsylvania Business Week** unique is the partnering of business mentors and teachers to assist students in running student-led and student-designed companies **right in the classroom.**

Students and educators will learn about America’s economic system and how they play a part in it. They will gain an understanding of how a business operates; gain appreciation for school subjects and how they relate to the real world; develop leadership, team work, time management, problem solving and people skills; and gain exposure to a variety of career fields. The participation of volunteer business executives brings actual experience and examples of successful organizations.


 * Business Advisors ** play a key role in the PA Business Week program. They serve as mentors, coaches and friends, guiding students through the week-long program. They assist students in making business decisions based on math, information, and logic. **Financial Sponsors** cover the costs associated with the program. **Speakers** knowledgeable in business, ethics, money, banking, investments, and manufacturing offer their expertise to students and educators. **Judges** experienced in accounting, advertising, banking and related fields set the standards in the student competitions. **Donations** of student prizes and program supplies are vitally important and gratefully accepted. All sponsors and participants are listed in promotional materials for the event, including brochures, advertisements, and media coverage.