A Virtual Enterprise class from Bethpage High School placed in the top of Long Island schools and will advance to the regional round. Their simulated business is called SuperNova, which is a training app for high school athletes. In the four years since the school implemented the Virtual Enterprise course, this is the furthest a class has gone in the competition.
Virtual Enterprise is the culmination of the curriculum-based business courses at Bethpage High School. The course is available to junior and senior students and allows them to experience every aspect of business in a simulated environment.
During the past several years, Bethpage’s business program has steadily grown to include a wider variety of courses, including accounting, business management, personal finance and marketing. The classes focus on teaching students real-life skills and relating lessons to current events.
High school business teachers Nancy Simpson and Anthony Murray felt there was an opportunity to better prepare students for their futures in business. As veterans of the business world, they applied their skills and wisdom to expand the Bethpage business program, creating a robust list of offerings for students in grades 10-12.
“I think the Virtual Enterprise students’ success exemplifies how our broader business course offerings are fostering a solid foundation for students,” Mr. Murray said. “It’s making them more successful in these competitions.”
Typically, the Virtual Enterprise classes attend large-scale events to market and sell their products and compete with other classes from around the country and world. This year, students have been engaging virtually with thousands of firms to participate in competitions, trade shows and fairs. Recently, Sarah Ali from METAkey placed in the top 10% on Long Island in an elevator pitch competition in which she pitched her class's company in 60 second or less.
"Virtual Enterprise to me is an enjoyable way to learn about the business industry," Sarah said. "As teenagers in high school, not many classes are offered that set you up for the real world. Virtual Enterprise has been such an amazing experience for me and I hope many students take advantage of this opportunity."
Overall, the three Virtual Enterprise classes placed in six different categories, including human resources, finance and marketing. They will now advance to the national competition in which they will present a video presentation to the judges.