STUDENT BUSINESS SHADOW PROJECT

The ABL’s Student-Business Shadow Project (SBSP) is designed to expose youth, particularly minority youth, to business and entrepreneurship and encourage them to consider careers in business. The program introduces students to minority business owners and their employees and the students ‘shadow’ the business owners while also completing defined work projects during the summer. Participating companies are responsible for transportation and organizing the students’ work projects and experience for maximum impact.

When they are not visiting companies, the students attend classes in finance, budgeting, customer service, youth entrepreneurship, presentation skills, public speaking, resume writing and managing their image on social media.

At the end of the summer, students are required to prepare a written report or audio/visual presentation of their experience and are encouraged to maintain a relationship with the company owners and employees after the end of the formal program. Students who successfully complete the program are recognized at a reception and receive a $500 stipend.

Those students who are interested in exploring specific career areas can participate in ‘customized field trips’ that take place during the school year. Participating students are nominated by their schools, ABL members and local churches, based on specific program criteria.

Program Goals

• Provide participating youth with successful minority business role models who will help them to see a career in business as a possibility.
• Demystify business by providing the youth with a variety of on-site, hands-on business experiences with minority-owned companies and their employees.
• Provide youth with the opportunity to study, write about, articulate and share their experiences with others.
• Provide youth with mentor relationships and potential employment opportunities with participating minority businesses.
• Provide urban school systems with a vehicle for establishing relationships with minority businesses.

Participating Schools Atlanta Public Schools (APS), ABL members, and partnering entities in conjunction with ABL identifies the participating schools. The League works with APS to identify student participants.

Participating Students The age range for eligible students is between 15 and 17 years. They must be in the 10th or 11th grade and be performing well in school. They must complete the SBSP application, which must be completed by the student and approved by a parent or guardian.