Minding Our Business Sets National Standard
|
While area youth might be minding their own businesses, observers of the community outreach project, M.O.B., certainly are not.
As the College of Business Administration’s Minding Our Business (M.O.B.) program continues to expand, the project is gaining more recognition by alumni, community members, education professionals and government officials.
Dr. Sigfredo Hernandez, M.O.B. director and founder, received first place for the Best Practice Award in Student Experiential Learning at the Small Business Institute 2009 National Conference, on Saturday, February 14, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
For the second year in the row, M.O.B. has made it to the final round as one of the top summer programs in the country by the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University. Last year, M.O.B. was ranked as one of the top 20 summer programs in the country. This year, the project is ranked as one of the top 15 finalists in the nation for the Summer Learning Excellence Award.
“The recognition is great for M.O.B. because we believe that we have the best entrepreneurial program for youth in the country,” Hernandez said. “We’ve been saying that, but now people are recognizing it.”
M.O.B. offers spring, summer and advanced programs, in which Trenton middle school students learn how to start and run their own businesses under the mentorship of Rider students. At the conclusion of the programs, the young students sell their wares at market fairs. This summer, the M.O.B. hopes to expand its summer training program from two weeks to three weeks, so the students have more time to complete their business plans and practice their skills.
Hernandez said M.O.B.’s recent recognition illustrates the staff’s leadership and dedication. Kevin Wortham, cofounder of M.O.B.’s summer program, agrees.
“I’ve worked with a lot of administrators as a consultant, and I have not met a person more passionate or committed to inner city youngsters than Dr. Hernandez,” said Wortham. He added that the M.O.B graduate assistant Wally Miranda has been instrumental in creating and revamping the project’s blogs, flyers and presentations.
This year, M.O.B. created a pilot program at the William C. McGinnis Middle School and its alternative school in Perth Amboy, N.J. The program has received a warm embrace by Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, the middle school’s principal and students.
Wortham is overseeing the program in Perth Amboy, which he thinks will enrich the program for Trenton youth. Meanwhile, the recent honors will help M.O.B. to continue to expand, he added.
“Eventually, other schools and programs can benefit from the M.O.B. model. My goal is to have a nationwide presence,” Wortham said. “Any award, any accolade, will allow us to leverage our success.”
Because of the expansion, there will be two market fairs this spring. Students in the Perth Amboy program will put their skills to the test during a market fair on Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at William C. McGinnis Middle School in Perth Amboy. On Tuesday, March 10, the students’ business plan presentations will be judged by Robert Fink, Lex Donawa, Councilman Fernando Gonzalez, Amando Tamargo and Reyes Ortega. Then the Perth Amboy students will join students from various schools in Trenton during the annual spring market fair. The event will be held on April 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the PJ Hill Elementary School.
Robert Fink ’06, who received degrees in Accounting and Marketing from Rider, read about the pilot program in Perth Amboy on the Rider Web site. His family business has owned Fink Department Store in Perth Amboy since 1923. Fink has attended M.O.B. training sessions and will be a judge at the business plan presentation on March 4.
“I am a manager of the business and any way I can help the school kids is a great plus for the community,” said Fink, who was not involved with the program as a student, but was involved in other leadership activities. “The best advice I can give to the students is to work as a team because they are going to have to work with one another to run a successful business.”
