Undergrads win $10,000 in Ernst & Young competition to implement community program
Minneapolis, MN (April 6, 2009)—Dedicated to improving their community, Carlson School students Asha Sharma and Matt Norris have developed an innovative program to redefine how businesses and non-profits collaborate to engage youth. Their program was recently selected as one of three winning proposals in the 2009 Your World, Your Vision campus competition sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP.
Sharma and Norris’ program, named TeenWorks, envisions a non-profit organization that will provide positive opportunities for underprivileged youth and reduce juvenile crime. TeenWorks is designed to introduce underprivileged kids to entrepreneurship, employment skills, and college career planning. Their plan is for TeenWorks to establish a teen-led business in Brooklyn Park, Minn., called The A-list, which will provide a safe place for youth to hang out while purchasing healthy snacks and custom apparel. Revenue from the store will support The A-List’s youth programs such as tutoring from local college students, talent shows, special events, job search help, and business mentors.
The impressive business model captured top honors in the national Your World, Your Vision competition, which attracted entries from more than 60 colleges and universities. The competition proposals outlined how teams could make a difference in their communities in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, or the environment. Ernst & Young LLP is awarding $10,000 to each of the three winning teams to implement the programs. In addition to receiving funding from the competition, Sharma and Norris have already garnered support for TeenWorks from local businesses and colleges, the City of Brooklyn Park, and Fortune 500 companies.
Sharma, who plans to graduate in 2011 with a BSB in finance and marketing, has had a lifelong interest in community involvement. Her passion was ignited through an organization called Cops N’ Kids, where she began as a weekly tutor. Over time, Sharma co-developed and implemented the organization’s five-year strategic plan with the board of directors. At the same time, Cop N’ Kids has evolved into an international non-profit.
Norris, a sophomore majoring in marketing and management information systems, is the co-founder of Brooklyn Park Champions for Youth. He began working on youth opportunities in the city of Brooklyn Park at the age of 16 as a youth liaison to the Citizen Long-range Improvement Committee. After nearly two years of research on the topic, Norris helped develop recommendations on how to improve youth engagement in Brooklyn Park and created and implemented the idea of Champions for Youth, the city’s official youth engagement initiative. Last summer, he wrote the five-year strategic plan for the youth initiative and launched its website.
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