This past summer, senior Faith Nonemaker attended Pennsylvania Free Enterprize Week (PFEW) held at Lycoming College and Penn College. Nonemaker learned about the opportunity through her accounting teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Weaver.
The week is focused on teamwork and managing a new business. This includes making logos, coming up with designs, and working together with new teammates. Nonemaker’s team was assigned to the transportation sector. Nonemaker’s team developed a bike designed to grow with a child. Their slogan “4evaurs” captured this idea.
“The bike has an adjustable seat, handlebars, and frame,” Nonemaker explained.
In preparation for their final presentation, done as a live commercial, each team split into two groups: marketing and finance. The finance group, which Nonemaker played a vital role in, used the simulation app called “BizSim” to design and manage their company. The teams tracked their business for three years, also referred to as twelve quarters.
“We only lost money in two of the quarters. We made a profit all other quarters,” Nonemaker said.
Although Nonemaker’s group did not win overall, they did win the Marketing Award and won honorable mention in two other categories.
In addition to the main competition, there were other activities that helped prepare the teams for their final presentation throughout the week, including Trivia Night and Junk Night. On Junk Night, the instructors brought junk they had at their homes and put it in a pile. The teams selected items from the junk pile and used them to design a product and a presentation for that product. Nonemaker’s group developed a subscription-based product that consisted of decorations for children’s bedrooms. Several times throughout the year, a new box of decorations would arrive so children could redecorate their rooms.
“We made a swing from stuff we found in the junk pile to include in an ‘Outdoor Kid’ box.”
After attending PFEW week, participants who attend Lycoming College are awarded a $20,000 scholarship paid over four years and any student who attends Penn College earns a $2,000 scholarship.
Graduates of the program have a list of obligations to fulfill as program ambassadors to their school when they return. In the spring, Nonemaker will give a presentation for all tenth grade students about the program.
Below is a link to the PFEW webpage interested students can refer to in the meantime.
