The Drake University Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team was named a Regional Champion at the SIFE USA Regional Competition held April 16 in Chicago. The event is one of 11 SIFE USA Regional Competitions held across the United States in March and April.
“Our SIFE team has reached into the community with four significant projects this year and we are thrilled to see their work recognized at the regional competition,” says Deb Bishop, associate professor of practice in management and international business and SIFE Sam Walton Fellow for Drake SIFE.
SIFE participants use business concepts to develop community outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. The Drake SIFE team spent over 1,187 hours this academic year impacting communities in the Des Moines area, from autistic adults and underprivileged youth to refugees from economically developing countries.
The culmination of the SIFE program is an annual series of competitions that provide a forum for teams to present the results of their projects and be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. Teams compete first at the regional and national levels, then at the international level when the national champion teams from each country meet at the SIFE World Cup.
As a SIFE USA Regional Champion, the Drake team now advances to the 2012 SIFE USA National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri, May 22–24.
SIFE at Drake University is in its seventh year and currently has about 30 active members. This is the team’s third consecutive win at the regional level. Drake SIFE is one of nearly 600 programs of its kind in the United States. For more information about Drake SIFE, visit www.drakesife.org.
For more information, contact: Deb Bishop, deb.bishop@drake.edu