2005-7-27
I'm Shep O'Neal with the VOA Special English Education Report.
Many young people in America attend camps when they are out of school during the summer. Summer camps can last one week or several weeks. They can be close to home or across the country. They offer a chance to explore different things: nature, sports, music, technology -- even business and economics.
One such program for high school students in the Pacific Northwest is called Washington Business Week. It is organized by the Foundation for Private Enterprise Education, in Olympia, Washington.
The program began in nineteen seventy-five. Officials say forty-five thousand people have attended Washington Business Week. Other states now have similar camps.
Washington Business Week describes itself as a way to learn more about how to plan for the future in an ever-changing economy. Students form an executive management team. They lead an imaginary company to financial success. At least that is where they are supposed to lead the company.
The camp is held at three colleges in Washington State. The high school students live in the college housing. The cost of the camp is almost three hundred dollars, but families can receive financial assistance.
Some business camps are free. These are for students from poor areas. The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship is an organization based in New York City that supports such camps. It has programs around the United States and its Web site lists international partners in China, Tanzania and a few other countries.
N.F.T.E. says it has served more than one hundred thousand young people since nineteen eighty-seven.
Among other business camps is Camp C.E.O. C.E.O. is chief executive officer. And this camp is for girls only. Camp C.E.O. is supported by the Girl Scouts of America and takes place for one week each summer.
The camp took place last month in Tennessee. The girls worked with successful businesswomen from different industries. The girls learned how to build a business and develop an idea into a product. And, we imagine, they also had some fun.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. Our reports are all on the Web at WWW.testbig.com. And more information about the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship can be found at nfte.com. I'm Shep O'Neal.