Project Launch:

The “Young Leaders of San Marcos Initiative” aimed to provide a unique extracurricular experience for high school students presented in an exciting and interactive manner. The project focused on developing leadership and employment related skills, ranging from entrepreneurship and vocational training to self-esteem, creativity, marketing/promotion, finance/accounting, and environmental responsibility to better prepare high school students for the real world, whether they go on to work full-time or continue with their studies. The core themes covered emphasized topics that have typically been neglected by their education system. The program provided an opportunity for participants to explore potential career paths through a “Professional Career Panel”, critically analyze businesses of all sizes (employing community analysis tools) and compete in marketing competitions. In the final weeks, participants formed small teams and competed in the execution of small businesses applying the skills gained throughout the course.