Some Westchester County high school students recently received hands-on experience in the field of business marketing and development.
Zoomnia.com sponsored a program open to students in eight high schools designed to give them valuable business consulting experience, while also helping the company at the same time.
Zoomnia is a Westchester-based Web site that attempts to connect consumers with questions in a wide range of fields with experts to answer them. Consumers anonymously formulate queries in specific categories, and representatives from relevant businesses respond with free guidance and answers.
Students will participate in the program, called From the Classroom to the Community, over the course of four weeks.
The program, which launched in February, requires teams to develop strategies to transform Zoomnia from “a local business to a national craze” by analyzing Zoomnia”™s current situation relative to the demands of its market, and brainstorming creative real-world solutions and growth plans, according to the company.
“Our mission is to help the community, both consumers and businesses,” said Zoomnia co-founder Steve Wolk. “We were brainstorming different ways we can do that, and we came up with the idea of helping students.”
The student teams will present their findings to a panel of business experts from Zoomnia and from New York City-based ZS Associates, a sales and marketing consulting firm.
During a presentation ceremony on March 17, awards will be handed out to the best proposals, as judged by Zoomnia and ZS Associates, and all participating teams will receive written feedback on their presentations.
Wolk believes the students will receive valuable business knowledge, and the company may benefit by listening to different marketing ideas.
“We”™re helping to teach these kids something most MBA”™s don”™t learn in top schools,” he said. “They”™re going to study the market, integrate what they”™ve found, and draw conclusions.”
Students participated from Fox Lane High School, Bronxville High School, Hendrick Hudson High School, North Salem Middle/High School, Roosevelt High School, Byram Hills High School, Sleepy Hollow High School, Blind Brook High School and New Rochelle High School.
Students have had access to management at Zoomnia and ZS Associates throughout the contest to ask questions. Each team also had a faculty advisor.
“It is gratifying to be part of a program that offers a practical educational experience for the students of Westchester County,” said Angela Bakker Lee, a principal with ZS Associates and consulting project leader. “This program will provide students with a challenging, hands-on opportunity while they are still in high school.”
Wolk said he has heard positive feedback from students and teachers involved in the project.
“This is a good learning experience (for the students),” said Wolk. “It”™s bringing them up to a very, very high level.”
