ECU's Oklahoma Business Week receives $20,000 contribution from AT&T

From The Ada News on June 8, 2016

 

 

 

 

East Central University’s award-winning summer camp, Oklahoma Business Week, recently received a $20,000 contribution from AT&T.

Oklahoma Business Week is a unique five-day camp for high school students, who form a “company” to learn about business practices and compete in a simulated business challenge. Each “company” is guided by a volunteer mentor from the Oklahoma corporate community. All of OBW’s programs are designed to engage teens in hands-on, experiential learning.

“At AT&T, we believe in investing in the lives of young people, and providing this contribution to Oklahoma Business Week is a great vehicle for doing that,” said Jan Moran, area manager for external affairs for AT&T Oklahoma. “To be able to contribute to such a prestigious summer camp aligns with our mission to give back to the community and to education. With AT&T providing this contribution, we hope to build on what has been an outstanding learning experience for high school students.”

Funding from the contribution will be used to offset the $900 in expenses for new students, who come with a socioeconomic status that prohibits participation. The AT&T contribution would also allow ECU to recruit students from additional underserved populations to attend OBW.

This summer’s camp is currently going on.

High school students are encouraged to return to OBW for a second year to attend a leadership development program designed to further enhance student preparedness for higher education and the workforce. Additionally, OBW offers college students the opportunity to participate in leadership development training and education through an internship class and hands-on leadership activities with OBW participants.

“The Oklahoma Business Week Executive Committee is exceedingly grateful to AT&T for their huge commitment of support for Oklahoma Business Week,” said Dr. Stacey Bolin, OBW director, assistant professor and director of ECU’s Wilburn L. Smith Center for Entrepreneurship. “AT&T joined a growing group of sponsors willing to help provide business, entrepreneurship and workplace and college readiness preparation to an upcoming workforce generation. Oklahoma Business Week would not be possible without both the monetary and time investment by our great sponsors.”

OBW has garnered numerous awards, including the Exceptional Program Award for Best Conference in the Great Plains Region of the Association for Continuing Higher Education in 2013, the Association for Continuing Higher Education’s 2013 Distinguished Program and the 2014 ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs) Best of Region Award for Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico.