1. Program Orientation Webinar Thursday, August 1 st 2013 Presented by Nick Chapman nchapman@veinternational.org 122 Amsterdam Ave. New York, NY 10023 Phone: 212-769-2710 www.veinternational.org

2. What is Virtual Enterprises International? VEI is an in school entrepreneurship program Students learn business by doing business Classes are “firms” that do business “virtually” with other “firms” across the U.S. and internationally – Approx. 500 firms nationally and 5,000 firms internationally The VEI approach emphasizes learning in four key areas: 1. Ownership: Students take responsibility for their own learning. 2. Experiential: Students’ learning is authentic and realistic. 3. Cooperative: Students learn with and from others and understand the dynamics of working as part of a team. 4. Reflective: Students experience the consequences of their decisions and apply that learning to future challenges.

3. Program Links www.veinternational.org – National website www.veinternational.org/about/ – Videos & background information www.veinternational.org/resources/ – Links to all resources for students and teachers

4. Where we are Map of all VE schools in the United States (source: http://batchgeo.com/map/eaaa2350282d188b8208b037b8304390)http://batchgeo.com/map/eaaa2350282d188b8208b037b8304390

5. VEI Regional Offices VEI National Office Iris Blanc National Director iblanc@veinternational.org Deni Frand External Relations dfrand@veinternational.org Tyler Fugazzie Digital Communications tyler@veinternational.org Western Nancy Phillips nphillips@khsd.k12.ca.us South Chris Haff chaff@veinternational.org Long Island Ellen Palazzo ellenp@spnet.us Irv Wortman iwortman@veinternational.org Northeast Kathy Gielow kgielow@veinternational.org Mid-Atlantic Rhonda Doak rdoak@veinternational.org Midwest Cindy Boyd cboyd@veinternational.org New York City John Jastremski jjastre@schools.nyc.gov Nick Chapman nchapman@veinternational.org College Network Kristen Callahan callahak@mccc.edu

6. Basics of the VEI Model What do firms “sell”? – Everything! Who is the Target Market? – VEI Employees (students) and other VEI Firms What makes it all work? – The US Network Bank links all firms in the US – Networked to all international banking systems – The online bank works exactly like your personal online banking system Direct deposit, automatic payments, electronic data Products: Apparel Electronics Food Sporting Goods Furniture Services: Advertising Financial services Adventure tours App developers Legal services

7. The Role of the Facilitator Moving from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side” VEI is a student-centered approach – Emphasis on project-based, collaborative learning Primary responsibility to facilitate and direct student learning – NOT to deliver a prescribed daily lesson

8. Role of a Business Partner Business partners are an essential element of the VEI program – Connecting students with adults and classrooms with the real world of business Partners provide guidance, resources, opportunities and advocacy Opportunities may include: – Site visits, job shadowing, mentoring, work samples

9. What does a VEI firm do? ResearchPlanPresentImplementEvaluateReport

11. Pacing Guide A sequential guide to help teachers manage firm operations Aligned to Curriculum Tasks and available resources Pacing Guide will be available on the curriculum page – http://veinternational.org/curriculum/ Name of TaskReference to Curriculum Task Available Resources Write the firm’s Mission StatementADMIN Task 8Sample mission statements Establish procedures for managing the firm’s bank account ACCOUNTING Task 10US Network Bank User Guide

12. Curriculum Task based curriculum Available online Organized by department Orientation Accounting & Finance Administration Communications Human Resources Graphics Information Technology Purchasing Sales & Marketing NOTE: All Curriculum and Resources are password protected. Please contact your regional director for access.

13. Resources Website VEI Portal US Network Bank Wholesale Marketplace US and International Firm Directories Reference Files

14. The VEI Classroom

15. An office instead of a classroom – Networked computer workstations – Workgroup clusters of furniture – Conference table and chairs – Telephone, Printer, Fax/Copier/Scanner – Filing cabinets – Microsoft Office Suite or suitable alternative

16. The Business Plan Every firm is required to write a comprehensive business plan – Outlining the goals and objectives of the firm Regions conduct local BP Competitions – Contact your regional director for details Winning teams qualify for the National Business Plan Competition in NYC during the Youth Business Summit – Held in April 2014 Written and Oral Rubrics can be found on the VEI website  Reference Files

17. E-commerce Website All firms should have an e-commerce website – Provides information about the firm & program – Product/Service descriptions & pictures – Online shopping cart utility or ordering procedure Mal’s E-Commerce is very popular among VE firms (www.mals-e.com)www.mals-e.com There are many template-based programs for designing simple, yet effective, websites – Google Sites, Weebly, Wix, etc. Introducing the “Better Business Rating” – Similar to star ratings on Amazon.com – Based on ease of use, customer relations, turnaround time, etc

18. Trade Shows Contact your regional director for information on your local trade show Visit veinternational.org for a list of all trade shows

19. 2014 Youth Business Summit – NYC April 1-3, 2014 National Business Plan Competition Global Business Challenge International Trade Show veinternational.org/youth-business-summit/

20. The Annual Report Summarize and report on the firm’s operations over the Fiscal Year 1.What did you say you were going to do in your Business Plan? 2.What actually happened? 3.Explain the differences. Why were you successful? Why weren’t you successful? What did you learn from the experience? Preparation of Firm Financial Statements – Income Statement – Balance Sheet – Cash Flow Statement

21. Assessment & Evaluation Pre/Post Assessments Economics Exam VEI Technical Assessment  NOCTI – Test Code 7975 Student & Teacher Surveys – Pre/Post

22. VEI and the Scientific Method Can we make this business profitable? Hypothesis = Sales & Expense Projections  Cash Budget The Business Plan Implement the Business Plan  website, trade shows, etc Accounting  sales journal, bank data The Annual Report! Learn about the industry and marketplace

23. The Student Experience 91% of VEI students plan to attend college next year either full- or part-time 66% of VEI students are minorities 90% of VEI students feel the program successfully prepared them to interview for a job and how to behave in a professional situation “The opportunities here are tremendous. You find yourself, your abilities, your future and your desires solely from this one program. If only I could stock-market-style invest in it!” Jeffrey Grinberg Francis Lewis High School, Class of 2012 Binghamton University, Class of 2016 “The VE experience is different than any other class in the fact that it is not sugar coated. What you receive from the program is real, and can help you make decisions with what you want to do after school.” Kelvin Vick East Wake High School, Class of 2012 University of North Carolina, Class of 2016

24. Questions & Answers For more information: Nick Chapman – NYC Program Coordinator nchapman@veinternational.org Iris Blanc – National Director iblanc@veinternational.org