DECA School-Based Enterprise
Are you interested in running a business? Have you ever considered starting one at school? DECA is a national organization that sponsors competitions and educational programs that advance students’ interests in business. Check out the DECA website and learn more about school-based enterprises - this could be a great opportunity for you to both sharpen your business skills and make a positive impact on your community.
“A school-based enterprise (SBE) is an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that provides goods/services to meet the needs of the market. SBEs are managed and operated by students as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate National Curriculum Standards in marketing, finance, hospitality or management.
SBEs provide realistic and practical learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction. SBEs can sell to consumers through a permanent location, a mobile kiosk or through Internet marketing. Products may include spirit wear, food and beverage items, school supplies, signs and banners and more, while other SBEs provide services such as creative design, advertising sales and more.
School-based enterprises are effective educational tools in helping to prepare students for the transition from school to work or college. For many students, they provide the first work experience; for others, they provide an opportunity to build management, supervision and leadership skills. While some in the education community have only recently discovered the value of school-based enterprises, educators and DECA advisors have used them as a powerful teaching tool for more than four decades.”
How do I get started? Click here. You may also find it helpful to download one of our PDFs (Stand Out From The Pack - Ongoing Event-Based), which set out a roadmap for launching an ongoing event-based project.
How do I expand this narrative arc?
Use your experience with your SBE to get a summer job. This looks great on a college application, especially if you intend to study business.
Spend your next summer in a pure entrepreneurship program like LaunchX or Quarter Zero
Have a look at Wharton’s Management and Technology summer program.
If you are interested in the intersection between sustainability and entrepreneurship, consider Sustainable Summer, which includes a program at Dartmouth at which students develop commercial solutions to climate change problems.
HOT TIP: Work experience is a great for signaling to college admissions officers that you are a mature student. Some kids excel in the classroom but struggle (or just aren’t motivated) to take on the responsibility that a job requires. Starting your own profitable business, especially when it requires interaction with adults in the community (including your school) is a particularly impressive accomplishment.