BizTech Summer Camp program seeks community partners
The School of Business Administration at Wayne State is partnering with metro Detroit businesses and nonprofits for its BizTech Summer Camp program, June 21 through August 3. The program introduces 30 high school students to higher education and career opportunities in business and technology through experience in classroom sessions and at paid internships.
BizTech’s classroom instruction focuses on business, technology, college preparation and life skills. Students are also provided a mentor and an internship at organizations like VisionIT, Compuware, Powerlink Facilities Management Services and the Society of St. Vincent De Paul.
Though the program’s primary focus is on providing experience and support to high school students, it also provides businesses with an engaging opportunity to support the community and promote their business operations.
David Segura, CEO of VisionIT believes that the BizTech Summer Camp provides a win-win situation for everyone involved.
“The students receive true situational experiences that they will face once working full-time in the industry and it allows VisionIT to build relationships with the community while inspiring young people to follow their dreams and overcome any challenge that they face by using wisdom, hard work and determination,” said Segura.
Since the program was established in 2001, 290 students have completed it. Every student who participated graduated high school and 70 percent have gone on to achieve a higher education.
Robert Pelt, a BizTech Summer Camp Student in 2008, endorses the program because of the impact it has on students. He interned at Compuware and explained that the program helped him discover how to develop his interest in technology into a career.
“The program defined who I am today, it made me professional,” he said. “When I interact with people today I still think about what I learned. It helped me out a lot.”
Pelt is now a freshman at Wayne State University pursuing a business major in accounting. He explained that it is very important that students not only receive an education but build professional work experience. He feels that the BizTech Summer Camp gave him a head start in preparing for his career.
Wayne State is dedicated to providing this camp to metro Detroit students each summer and is always looking for more community partners for the program. For information about how to enroll in the program, to provide student sponsorship or to offer an internship opportunity, please contact the program’s coordinator, Kiantee Rupert-Randell at (313) 577-4510 or krandell@wayne.edu.
