The Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Students In Free Enterprise Team returned to Orangeburg as winners after participating in the Charlotte, N.C., SIFE USA Regional Competition in March.

The event was one of 17 SIFE USA Regional Competitions being held across the United States in March and April.

After presenting a report of their year-long community-outreach projects to a panel of business leaders, the OCtech SIFE team was named second runner-up in the overall competition and a SIFE USA Rookie of the Year.

SIFE Team President Cassandra Greene says, “Participating in the SIFE Regional Competition has energized our team even more – and the excitement surrounding our team’s recognition has been a great recruiting tool. Quite a few students have asked team members and advisers about SIFE – what’s it’s all about, how they can join and how they can get involved.”

SIFE is an international non-profit organization active on more than 1,400 university campuses in 48 countries. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that focus on: market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills, and business ethics.

During this academic year, the OCtech SIFE team organized five projects in the Orangeburg community, including a series of Success Skills Workshops for the Orangeburg Area Boys & Girls Club After School Program. The team’s goal was to introduce teens to a wide range of business related skills that will help them succeed in a global society. The teens ages 13 to 18 were involved in interactive group activities that focused on completing a job application, professional dress, customer service, social graces, cultural diversity, sexual harassment, consequences of music/video piracy, free trade and telephone etiquette.

The team taught these workshops in a fun way using role play, games, mannequins and even cake. The General Business senior capstone class, Special Projects in Business, worked with the SIFE Team on some of the workshops for their Service Learning Project. Workshops were held at the Cannon Bridge Road and Edisto Fork locations.

Jessica Davis, vice president of projects and competition, says, “It was easy to see the positive impact that our SIFE Team was able to make on the teens. What was surprising was the powerful impact they made on us as well.”

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