At the end of July, a group of 36 high-potential high school students will spend a week on campus as part of a new business-focused summer camp called GopherBusiness. The first-year program was developed by the Carlson School of Management to serve and support talented high school students from diverse backgrounds who may have encountered barriers to educational resources and opportunities.
"GopherBusiness will be a vital piece of the Carlson School's diversity recruitment efforts and supports our institutional commitment and value for equity and diversity," said Brent Opall,director, Multicultural Affairs & Diversity Education.
During their time on campus, the students will learn about marketing, finance and accounting, and the supply chain from Carlson School faculty and alumni. In addition to classroom instruction, they'll visit several local businesses to gather insights from industry professionals.
The students will then be asked to put their new knowledge to work by developing recommendations for The Cookie Cart, a nonprofit retail/commercial bakery that offers North Minneapolis youth the opportunity to develop life, leadership, and employment skills.
"We are very excited to give students the opportunity to see all sides of business--from small, local enterprises to large corporations, and how business can have a positive impact on the community," said Mindy Deardruff, director of marketing and recruitment, Carlson Undergraduate Program.
The first-ever GopherBusiness would not be possible without a generous grant from the Travelers Foundation.
"We want people who are committed to their own personal growth and development," said Michael Newman, vice president, Travelers Foundation. "Because of this, GopherBusiness is a great tool for us to reach students we would like to see join our company someday and it provides our present employees an opportunity to become acquainted with these students, their skills, aptitudes, and interests,"
To qualify for GopherBusiness, applicants needed to possess a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average, have a strong math and science background, and demonstrate leadership experience.
Other GopherBusiness sponsors include the Carlson Family Foundation, Wells Fargo, Ernst & Young, Colle McVoy, Izzy's Ice Cream, and General Mills.
