A burgeoning partnership with San Diego Junior Achievement and a desire to develop long-lasting relationships in the business community is helping Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) shape tomorrow’s business leaders today.

The PLNU Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team is hoping to make a splash this year with its community outreach project by launching an interactive partnership, known as “The Company Project,” which takes students from four local area high schools and educates them about business and free market enterprise. The highschoolers have formed teams and are developing philanthropic micro-firms with a goal of setting up a business model for a non-profit company.

The students from Kearney, Crawford, Monte Vista, and Point Loma high schools, are being mentored by undergrads from PLNU’s SIFE chapter, as they learn about working as a team, and the different aspects of business, including entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and ethics.

Junior Achievement, along with SIFE, hosted a convention on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at PLNU’s Fermanian School of Business. Guests heard lectures from PLNU faculty members, as well as participated in breakout sessions with topics ranging from ethics training to financial consulting to creating, writing and executing a business plan. Students also had the opportunity to network with local business professionals at a catered lunch, including experts from the areas of marketing, entrepreneurship and non-profits.

The convention runs in conjunction with Entrepreneurship Week USA, the largest nationwide celebration of entrepreneurship. For more information visit http://www.entrepreneurshipweekusa.com/home-flash.asp.

The entire project will culminate with a celebration and awards ceremony – scheduled for late May – where the student teams will have the chance to present their philanthropic ventures and will hear from guest speakers and PLNU faculty members. Several local non-profit organizations will also be attending and will set up their own exhibits. The student projects will be judged collectively by representatives from Junior Achievement, SIFE and PLNU. They will give their final results and the winning teams will receive rewards. In addition, one lucky team may be chosen to receive venture capital and further advising to move their project forward.




Eric Yates
Media Relations Officer
(619) 849-7186
eyates@pointloma.edu