ANDERSON SCHOLARS

The Anderson Scholars Program, like a high school MBA, enables students to pursue a passion for business and entrepreneurship through an individualized program that connects course work with significant experiences outside the walls of the school. Anderson Scholar students explore the world of business through coursework, extracurricular activities, and a summer job experience. The program culminates with each student starting or managing his own micro-business.

BUSINESS/ENTREPRENEUR CLASSES

University School offers three elective classes to provide an understanding of business. Students can choose from two full-year courses: Microeconomics, essentially Entrepreneurship 101, and AP Economics, a traditional study of this social science. A half-year course, History of American Capitalism, teaches students about the evolution of business management and employee motivation.

SUMMER APPRENTICESHIPS

Funded by a grant from Burton D. Morgan Foundation, University School provides select students with a paid summer internship at a local business. Students are paired with local entrepreneurs, assigned a strategic project, and spend five weeks working full-time to observe the real-life experiences of a business owner.

FINANCIAL LITERACY CLUB

The Financial Literacy Club is open to any student interested in learning about different aspects of financial literacy including personal finance and investing. Topics are chosen based on members’ areas of interest. Students learn through guest speakers, group discussion and other resources.

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

University School Student Investment Committee is comprised of a select group of students chosen to manage a portion of the University School investment portfolio. Student-run monthly meetings are held to review the portfolio and consider new investments.

STUDENT/SCHOOL-BASED BUSINESSES

University school students have started a variety of different businesses, including a health food company, T-shirt printer, caterer, and a jewelry designer. Our students have been featured in The Plain Dealer, Chagrin Valley Times, and on the PBS shows, Who’s Your Boss? and Neotropolis. Students also run the US Textbooks enterprise, which buys and sells used textbooks within the University School community and the School Survival Kits business, which provides students with all the school supplies needed for a year at US.

VEALE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP FORUM

The Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum is a growing network of high schools in Northeast Ohio that equips students with an entrepreneurial mindset and essentials skills by providing exceptional education and real-world experiences in entrepreneurship. Founded in 2012 with the leadership of Young Entrepreneur Institute at University School, the Forum currently reaches more than 1,000 students annually at 18 selected public and private high schools. Signature programs of the Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum include a Fall Thinkfest and Pitchfest, and a Spring Business Plan Competition.

COMPETITIONS

ENTREPRENEUR CUP

The Entrepreneur Cup competition helps students bring their business dreams to reality. While developing their own new business ideas, students attend workshops to enhance their entrepreneurial planning skills and learn the basics of writing a business plan. The competition culminates in a final oral presentation before a panel of judges from the Cleveland business community. The winner of the US Entrepreneur Cup moves on to compete in various regional competitions.

PITCH CUP

The Pitch Cup is an extra-curricular activity for US students interested in the business of smartphone apps. Students, individually or as a team, create a wireframe design for their app, a written business plan – which includes a marketing and financial plan – and a 10-minute oral presentation. A US faculty panel reviews the submissions and presentations, and selects the top five finalists. A panel of local business and technology leaders judges the final round of the competition.

STOCK MARKET CHALLENGE

The Stock Market Challenge (SMC) is a web-based educational tool that is used by thousands of elementary, middle, and high students around the state each semester to help teach economics, finance, current events, math, social studies and technology. Each student team receives $100,000 of virtual dollars in an SMC brokerage account and simulates managing a portfolio by buying and selling stocks at real-time prices. Students compete for prizes and statewide bragging rights. This is one of the most popular business activities at US, with over 200 middle school and high school students participating each year.

JA TITAN

Titan is an online business simulation from Junior Achievement. Titan challenges students to apply their knowledge of business as they compete online in the highly competitive industry of the fictional Holo-Generator. Students enter decisions about price, production, marketing, capital investment, and research and development. The impact of their decisions will lead to the success or failure of each Holo-Generator company. Titan is used by high schools around the world. University School has been a top three finisher in regional and national Titan competitions.