Building Leadership & Creativity
Through Projects
Donna Martin, Chip Lowe – Academy of Entrepreneurship
Email martindw@gm.sbac.edu / Website www.spiritspotbhs.com
Buchholz High School
• Academy of Entrepreneurship Environment
• Encouragement to participate in activities organized by
other students
• DECA Projects allow for students to compete with projects
• Teachers manage the projects to ensure success
Project Organization
• Selecting student leaders
– Students generate project ideas and then follow through with
their project
• Project organization & delegation
– To ease the preparation of the 30-page DECA project reports,
students work in their areas of experience to write their section
– All chapter members are involved through large events,
fundraisers, selling tickets, marketing and promotion, and
through various other opportunities each project
DECA Projects
• Several Project Categories:
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Learn & Earn Project
Public Relations Project
Entrepreneurship Promotion Project
Community Service Project
Creative Marketing Project
Financial Literacy Promotion Project
Projects by Buchholz
Learn & Earn Projects
• Dancing with the Teachers &
Staff/Student Basketball Game
– Fundraiser for State Competition
– Involved cooperation between
DECA & Student Council
– Business partnerships and
sponsorships in the community
– Completely organized by
freshmen DECA members
Public Relations Projects
• Alachua County Library:
Teen Scene
– Mission: Bring teens into agefriendly environment at library
branch
– Using our members, we were able
to gain a perspective of what
students want in a library
– Assisted in redesign of Millhopper
Branch
– Organized a “Teen Day” at the
library
Entrepreneurship Promotion Projects
• Boys & Girls Club and
Junior Achievement
Partnership
– Academy students and JA
Volunteers engaged the students
in activities in afterschool
programs
– Final day of the program was with
“My Own Business” JA program in
the computer lab and students
were able to win rewards
Community Service Projects
• MDA Ball-a-Thon
– County-wide 3-on-3 basketball
tournament
– Fundraiser for Muscular
Dystrophy Association through
ticket sales and registration fees
– Volunteer opportunities for
Academy students & good public
relations in the community
Creative Marketing Projects
• “Positive Environmentalism for
the Next Generation”
– Partnership with Gainesville
Regional Utilities to promote their
Green Business Certification
Program & Services
– Promoted recycling and
environmentalism to local
businesses
– Instituted Good Earthkeeping
Seal certification on school level
with vending machines, school
electronics, etc.
Financial Literacy Projects
• Elementary Financial
Education
– Group of students went to local
elementary school over a multiweek period
– Taught financial basics to 2nd
graders
– The last day was a “finale” where
students who were able to answer
questions earned prizes
Teaching the entrepreneurs of tomorrow!
The Spirit Spot
• School-Based Enterprise
– 1200 square feet
– Run by Academy seniors
– Student manage the inventory design and control,
finances, marketing, and sales
– Sell Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, other low-calorie foods,
apparel, school supplies, and books for outside
reading
Co-op Food Cart
• Partnership between Food Service and
Academy
– Cafeteria prepares food
– Exclusive menu
– We pay their retail price
– Our markup is 25-50 cents per item
– Average profit = $35 per day
– Everybody wins!
The Bob Cart!
Teacher Oversight in Projects
• Teacher is the advisor and should let students “run” the
project, but give advice and intervene when they know
that certain situations won’t work
• Transparency must exist so that students & teachers
can easily communicate to achieve success
• Bottom Line: Both students & teachers learn through
projects. Students gain skills necessary for the career
environment & teachers stay “in-the-loop” on new
trends amongst teens.
You Can Succeed in Projects too!
Buchholz DECA State Competitors 2008-2009