By Sarah Pritchett Dalton
A competition that challenges high school students to expand their knowledge of business reaches a milestone this year. The Concord Business Challenge (CBC) celebrates its 20th anniversary on October 24, 2013.
Sponsored by Concord University’s Division of Business, the CBC held its first competition in October 1993.
“It was started as a recruitment effort and has developed into a tradition among local and regional schools that consistently participate and look forward to the event each year,” says Dr. Susan Robinett, chair of the Division of Business. “We have had more than 4,000 students participate in the CBC since 1993 with more than 400 attending and graduating from Concord University. Many of the teachers who bring their students to the CBC are Concord alums.”
According to Robinett, the concept behind the event is to give the high school juniors and seniors who participate “an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in business and economics in an academically challenging environment.” The challenge is held on Concord’s Athens campus. High schools in Mercer and surrounding counties in West Virginia compete along with students from neighboring counties in Virginia.
Students compete as individuals for first, second and third place awards in challenge exams. The school receiving the most awards in the challenge exams receives a first place school trophy. Second and third place honors are also awarded to school teams. The reigning champion is Greenbrier East High School, winner of the first place trophy for 2012. Fayette Institute of Technology received second place, and Giles High School and Richlands High School tied for third place.
During the CBC’s two decade history, subject matter for the challenge exams has kept pace.
“The challenge exams have changed as the curriculum has in our business administration program,” says Robinett. “The challenge exams this year include Accounting, Business Computer Literacy, Business Finance, Business Law, Business Mathematics, Current Business Events, Economics, Management and Entrepreneurship Principles, Marketing Principles and Microsoft Office Concepts.”
“Students can also compete in pre-submitted challenges that include Creative Marketing Brochure, Keyboarding and Concord Business Challenge Logo and Slogan. The winning entry of this last pre-submitted challenge is the logo and slogan used in the promotional materials of the next year’s challenge.”
Entrepreneurship Principles has been added as a topic for 2013 as a result of Concord University’s recent launch of an entrepreneurship initiative.
Trophies and certificates aren’t the only incentive for students to compete. Concord also offers scholarships as part of the event.
“The two students who score the highest on the scholarship exam are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship if they attend Concord University,” explains Robinett.
On the day of the challenge, students and their teachers arrive on Concord’s Athens campus by school bus. They gather in the Fine Arts Center for registration and a continental breakfast followed by welcoming remarks from Concord’s president and other administrators. Then, it’s competition time and the students are directed to sites around campus. Members of Concord’s business faculty and the university’s business students assist with administering the challenge exams. While students are being tested on their business acumen, their teachers attend seminars conducted by Concord representatives. A noontime awards ceremony is held in the main theater of the Fine Arts Center.
Along with an opportunity to compete, participants also have time to learn about college life.
“Students participating in the CBC are not only engaged in demonstrating their academic abilities for competing in the challenge but they are also invited to explore the campus and get a snapshot of a day in the life of being a college student,” says Robinett. “Many students enjoy shopping in the bookstore, eating in the cafeteria and even meeting with friends and family already attending Concord University.”
For more information on the Concord Business Challenge, contact Bonnie Brown, event coordinator, at (304) 384-5244.
About the Author
Sarah Pritchett Dalton works in the Office of Advancement at Concord University where she is responsible for media relations.
