"SIFE is a nonprofit organization that gives students the tools to learn the free enterprise system in a real working situation. SIFE challenges students on more than 800 college campuses nationwide to take what they're learning in the classroom and use their knowledge to better their communities. Guided by faculty advisors who are named Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellows in honor of the late Wal-Mart founder, SIFE Teams establish a variety of community outreach programs that teach free enterprise. For example, they teach concepts such as budgeting, accounting and supply and demand. They help budding entrepreneurs get their plans off the ground and mentor at-risk students, inspiring them to reach for their dreams."(SIFE.org)
The Travelin’ T
This project is an IU SIFE created PowerPoint presentation that teaches grade school students about free market economies by following a t-shirt to various countries as it is being produced. They also learn about specialization in major apparel producing countries. It was presented in March to a fourth grade class and was so successful that it was requested to be repeated annually for several different classes this year!
Project Leader: Nicole Gump, ngump
Fair Trade Bloomington
SIFE partners with Ten Thousand Villages to market fair trade hand made crafts that are imported from around the world. Fair trade is an economic development project that creates sustainable businesses in the most needy areas of the world. This project is active in the Bloomington community, creating a larger awareness of the benefits of fair trade goods by holding several festival sales that contribute towards opening a fair trade non-profit store.
Project Leader: Leela Summers, lsummers
Operation University Student Ambassadors
SIFE is forming a project to create a nationwide network of SIFE teams that will act as campus ambassadors for Iraq War Veterans.
Project Leader: Annie Cornett, anmcorne
Smart Cookie Banking
Re-Birth! This project, which originally began two years ago, is being redesigned to better suit the needs of the children it initially set out to effect. The basic goal of the project is to educate children ages 10-12 about general financial skills. Through games and presentations the girl scouts not only learn about the topics, which include things like savings accounts and ATM’s, but earn a badge in the process.
Project Leader: Norah Chalavanich, nchalava
Stepping Stones
Stepping stones is a transitional shelter for teenagers who do not currently have a home. SIFE is dedicated towards helping these teenagers in any way possible. SIFE is working on finding ways for the teenagers to support their group through social entrepreneurship, as well as establishing future goals of attending college.
Project Leader: Joni Bloehs, e-mail: jkbloehs
Aurora
This project works with students from Aurora High School, a local alternative high school, to teach them basic professional skills. Through a series of workshops and one-on-one sessions the students will learn skills that range from resume writing to interviewing.
Project Leader:
Cafeteria Cost Control
The Cafeteria Cost Control project is designed to help students at the Junior High level plan and decide how their cafeteria in their school will spend their budget. This is achieved by using the schools budget. They learn how to divide up the budget between the cost of food, employees, and equipment or furniture needed.
Project Leader: Natalie Keitel, nkeitel