Around the World, College Students See Business as Solution for Positive Social Change
University Teams from 40 Countries Showcase Outcomes At SIFE World Cup in Los Angeles
ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- While headlines underscore the struggles of graduates searching for a foothold in today's global economy, one non-profit organization is helping prepare emerging leaders by giving college students a chance to deal with real-world issues with an emphasis on outcomes.
Through SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise), college students around the world are discovering that "doing well" and "doing good" can be accomplished simultaneously throughout college and career. Their efforts will be showcased at the SIFE World Cup, at the Anaheim Convention Center, October 10 – 12 where more than 400 global business leaders will assemble to evaluate the outreach projects of national champion teams from 40 nations. They will be judged on how successful they have been at using business solutions to create economic opportunity for others. www.sife.org/worldcup
"Increasingly people are looking at businesses in a broader context and rejecting the notion of choosing between making money or doing good," says Mat Burton, Senior Vice President, SIFE. The organization attributes this shift in expectations to the rising demand for universities and corporations to remain relevant in a rapidly changing global economy.
Rooted in the discovery by corporate leaders that there are benefits derived from a healthy triple bottom line, students are seeking meaningful social change through business solutions. In China, SIFE students helped farmers develop a retail sales channel for ginseng crops and established a microfinance fund to ease cash flow problems. In Germany, a team created an original food delivery service to give young people valuable work experience to make them more attractive in a tight job market. And the SIFE USA National Champion Team from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee helped survivors of violence and addiction transition to the workplace by providing crucial financial and computer training.
"SIFE students understand the opportunity for business to make a positive economic, social and environmental impact," says Douglas R. Conant, President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB), and former Chairman of the SIFE Board of Directors. "It's the reason so many recruiters have identified SIFE as a leading source of socially responsible business talent."
"It's not just what you get a paycheck for that counts on your resume; in fact, sometimes what you volunteer your time for says even more," says Miranda Azzam, College Recruiter, Aflac Worldwide Headquarters.
SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise)
SIFE is an international non-profit organization that brings together the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1,500 college and university campuses in over 40 countries. For more information contact SIFE World Headquarters at 417-831-9505 or visit www.sife.org.
SOURCE SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise)
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