Staten Island, NY – For several years, a group of students from Susan Wagner High School has operated a small business. The culmination of long hours, field trips and a lot of learning in class, the small virtual bakery company was trained after its owners have taken several courses in finance, learned on the analysis of the profitability threshold and marketed their plan well thought out of local business owners. It is an entrepreneurship study that has undoubtedly changed their lives.
“I entered the high school very shy, not speaking, bad by speaking in public,” said Liam Smith, a now eloquent senior who heads for the Hunter College to study biology in the fall. “But this class went beyond financial literacy. Not only did we familiarize ourselves with fast books, Excel and all other Microsoft extensions, we also filled our curriculum vitae with important life skills. ”
The four -year program, which is part of the school business academy, presents students with the business foundations in the first year, followed by leadership and public presentation lessons in two years. During the junior year, the participants wrote a business plan and begin to market a product. The last year is when they launch and run a virtual business.
Students of the Virtual Enterprise program pose for an image outside of BlackRock, one of the largest investment and financial services management companies in the world. (Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)(Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)
“This is the real business – we have been an entrepreneurial preparatory program for the New York State and Technical Education (CTE) since 2021. We are preparing students to become entrepreneurs and they learn to understand financial literacy,” said Joseph Weisberg, business teacher at Susan Wagner and virtual business coordinator. “In this class, they learn to plan a career and have an impact on the world of local affairs.”
Weisberg, who worked as an accountant and had previous teaching experience before coming to Wagner in 2023, said that students who finished the program are well prepared to enter the labor market with a solid understanding of career and financial management.
“First, they acquire skills in finance, marketing and management and, during their last year, they participate in a virtual company where they sell a virtual product via an online market,” he noted. “It’s based on simulation, but the experience is very real.”
Over the past two years, students have exploited an inclusive bakery, which was aimed at those with food restrictions. Students did research on ingredients and even established a partnership with local bakers who informed them how to prevent cross -contamination and other food allergy problems.
Susan Wagner High School’s virtual Enterprise program allows students to dive deep into entrepreneurship, study finances, marketing and other commercial applications before launching their own business. (Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)(Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)
“Each student rests with a curriculum vitae and a cover letter, and a lot of real experience ready to apply for a position that suits them,” said Weisberg. “During four years, students throw a very deepened overview of the life of an entrepreneur. Many decide to continue studying university business, others are well prepared to jump directly on the job market. ”
Weisberg students say that it is by far the best part of their experience in high school.
“My favorite part is how Mr. Weisberg appreciates us,” said Max Koleci, a junior. “He takes some students and gives them greater roles, shows us how to direct. From the first day, I knew I wanted to be one of these leaders. ”
Koleci praised the “Tiron tight” program, detailing how he was inspired by a class trip to the BlackRock, one of the largest investment management and financial services in the world. He called all the “enlightening” experience.
Students from the Virtual Enterprise Program program by Susan Wagner High School are working on a class project. (Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)(Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)
“We learn things in this program that I know that I will apply in real life,” he said. “Business is very interesting and even if I don’t really know if I will continue this area in the future, I know that I will use these lessons on any path that I could take.”
Chasity Gordon, also a junior, agreed.
“This class helped me learn whoever I want to be,” said Gordon. “I entered the program in the second year, and we had lessons in Adobe, Canva, PowerPoint. I now know that I want to pursue a career in marketing. ”
“This program helped me discover a lot about myself,” added Liam Smith. “I am so much more communicative and more anxious or stressed, which has trouble imagining my future – short or long term.”
Each student moves away from the program with a professional and technical education diploma, a specialized accreditation of New York State School which recognizes students who have completed a rigorous study program in a specific career field. This means that a student has not only satisfied the standard diploma requirements, but has also acquired precious skills and knowledge in a chosen career field.
Students have a business plan during one of their virtual corporate classes. (Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)(Thanks to Joseph Weisberg)
Although students say that the diploma is “a big problem”, it is certainly not the only thing they earn from this course.
“This is by far the best program that Wagner offers,” concluded Max Koleci. “M. Weisberg always tells us: “Even if you hate business, you will learn to prepare a budget, to calculate interest on the payment of cars …” and that is the kind of real thing that we have learned in his class. “