Market Week
Photo Credit: John Magana
Tony Valderrama
December 7, 2009
Filed under Features
Entrepreneurship is defined as the act of owning and running a business. It is also a class taken by seniors and juniors. Yet this year, the curriculum is taking a much more radical approach than in the past.
In years past, the students in Entrepreneurship class were assigned a large project in which they had to design a fully functioning business. This year, the students are going to be taking a much more realistic approach to the project. This year, Corona will be holding a “Market Week,” in which students will be creating a business plan, comprised of several parts. They will then fund their businesses with their own money and try to sell their products or services to other students. They will, quite literally, be putting their planned businesses to the test. But most students see this as an opportunity, not an assignment.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to get our feet wet in the world of business,” junior Austin Jonas said.
This move is quite unprecedented within the walls of Corona, but Corona wasn’t the first school to come up with the idea. That credit goes to another school within the Tempe Union High School District.
“Desert Vista does this every year and we got the idea from them, as well as a few other schools in the district,” Entrepreneurship and technology teacher Brandon Waller said. “They do it every year and the students seem to really enjoy it. They get more out of the assignment because they’re not just turning in a paper. If they do a good job, they have a chance to make real money. We tried to make it as real as possible.”
Market Week will be from Monday, Nov. 30 to Friday, Dec. 4. Each business will be a partnership of four to six students. They will be limited to a budget of $20 per person. The budget will include any expense spent on the business, including any ads and any money used on the product. They will also be able to buy ad space on [cdstv].
The amount of total revenue a group makes will not be the only factor in determining a grade, but it will be a heavy influence.
“It is not their final (exam), but it is a major portion of the second quarter grade,” Waller said. “They will be graded based on how well they complete each part of the Business Plan. The other half is (based on) their ability to run a successful business.”
The stakes for this assignment will be fairly high, but several students are actually excited for the chance to be part of this new project.
“It’s good because it’s a good way to have competition and possibly make money,” junior David Garner said.
