What did you do on your summer vacation? BestPrep had an active and fulfilling summer engaging with students and teachers during our two summer programs – Minnesota Business Venture and the Technology Integration Workshop.
Take a look at a recap of both programs:
A student company at St. John’s University.
Minnesota Business Venture (MBV) had another successful run at St. Cloud State University (July 10-15) and St. John’s University (July 24-29). In total, 331 students from 96 high schools attended camp to learn from informative speakers and participate in a variety of experiential activities teaching business skills, financial literacy and career preparation. Not only do students learn real world skills, but they are challenged to leave their comfort zone and interact with new people. The student population at camp was 35% low-income and 56% students of color from 96 schools across the state – a true networking opportunity for everyone.
What truly makes MBV an experience of a lifetime are the volunteers who take time out of their summer to make a difference in the lives of students through mock interviews, presentations, and as Resident Business Leaders. Throughout the two weeks, 191 volunteers participated in MBV! Keynote speakers at camp came from companies such as General Mills, U.S. Bank, Ecolab, and Pearson’s Candy. We are so grateful for their service and involvement, and students agree – 98% said they now feel more confident with skills such as teamwork, communication, management, and leadership.
To see what happened day-by-day, check out the MBV blog that is written by the students during camp.
Educators attend a breakout session.
Technology Integration Workshop (TIW) was held August 1-4 and hosted by the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business in downtown Minneapolis. This year 81 educators attended the workshop representing 47 Minnesota schools.
Educators from a variety of levels of comfort with technology attend this program. Keynote and breakout sessions are offered on an assortment of topics. This year, popular breakout sessions included ‘No More Poster Projects’ and ‘Free Digital Assessment Tools’. A 3D printer was on-site as well as virtual reality Google Cardboard viewer. Educators worked on a unit plan throughout the week that they will bring back to the classroom this fall.
BestPrep has received wonderful feedback from participants and many of these comments are posted on the TIW blog. Educator Marie Joseph shared,
I sit at my computer typing this and if there was a mirror alongside the screen I would see a changed person! I have resisted so much of this in my classroom, but in my heart I know that it will serve my students to utilize cooperative learning in a variety of ways, INCLUDING technology. My specialist consistently checked in with me, both on a skill level and on an emotional level. She answered or found answers to things that occurred after my mind had a chance to percolate a new thought/concept/tool.