Schulich School of Business at York University has kicked off its second annual Business Excellence Academy, a business education and mentorship program designed to help Ontario high school students from low-income and underprivileged communities pursue business education careers.
The Business Excellence Academy was created last year by four Schulich undergraduate students working together with Schulich faculty and staff. The program is designed to help Black and Indigenous Ontario high school students build connections with business professionals, network with Schulich student mentors, and learn more about academic pathways available to them as they navigate post-secondary learning.
The month-long Academy launched on July 4 with 60 Grade 10 and Grade 11 students enrolled. The program meets online three times a week for two hours in the evening with sessions delivered by Schulich faculty and guest speakers from industry. Scotiabank is the lead partner and main sponsor of this year’s Academy.
“The Schulich Business Excellence Academy is a student-led initiative and represents the School’s commitment to working together with Schulich students, faculty, alumni and the wider community in order to provide opportunities and increase representation of Black, Indigenous and other under-represented communities at our School,” said Michelle Machado, director of strategic policy and planning at Schulich. “It’s amazing to witness the commitment and contributions of our Schulich students in supporting high-school participants in this program as they uncover the vast array of career paths that a business education offers.”
There are nine modules in total, covering everything from problem-solving and presentation skills to networking and marketing. As the program draws to a close this week, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion at an in-person closing ceremony at the Schulich School of Business on July 26. This will be followed by a three-day entrepreneurship bootcamp for interested participants.
To learn more about the Schulich Business Excellence Academy, click here.