Students from Southold High School’s Virtual Enterprise program show off the results of their work. (Image courtesy)
If you’re a student at Southold High School, it’s hard not to notice the well-dressed group of seniors walking the halls in their business attire.
In fact, that’s part of what drew Jay Tramontana to take the school’s Virtual Enterprise course.
“I used to see all the other people in VE walking around dressed up and looking good and I was like, ‘Oh I want to be like them,'” Jay said. “Therefore, [I decided] ‘I can be like them now.’”
Participating VE students at Southold High School began their senior year creating a company from scratch, working in teams to form a corporate structure complete with business plans, executive officers and management. Students meet and agree on the roles and responsibilities of each team member, from the chief executive officer and chief financial officer to product, marketing and event managers.
The rigorous course isn’t for everyone according to program director and English teacher Jessica Ellwood.
“In Southold, it’s only open to seniors,” Ellwood said. “They have to apply in the spring of their junior year, and they have to pass an interview round with the other two teachers I work with … so they really need it.”
High schools across the country offer virtual business classes that compete locally and regionally and culminate in the spring with a national competition. The Suffolk Times reported in April that Southold VE’s class of 11 students was honored with first place for their marketing plan and ranked eighth nationally for their business plan. It is also a national qualification for their finance and human resources departments; qualifying the team for competition with other schools across the country, at the nationwide Youth Business Summit in New York City, marking the first year in school history that the team has made it to nationals.
Another thing that’s special about this program besides the amazing kids and amazing administrative support is that it’s really integrated into the community.
Jessica Ellwood
This year’s VE class company is named Clime. According to the company’s website, veclime.wixsite.com/clime, it exists to solve the problem of “unsatisfactory and potentially unsafe food temperatures.”
Each year a VE class partners with a local business to create a product or service. Thanks to a production partnership with DJK Heating & Cooling in Southold, they produce many products to maintain the right temperature of food. One such product is Thermabowl. The battery-operated stainless-steel bowl keeps food at the desired temperature. According to Clime’s newsletter, the bowl is dishwasher safe and has an outer silicone coating that is offered in five colors, blue, red, green, white and purple.
The bowl is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. Clime makes the charging pad in the bowl, which transfers the energy from the charger to the receiver through electromagnetic induction. The company also offers the thermabox, a lunchbox that works in the same way as a thermabowl and a thermatray, which regulates the temperature of the food placed on it.
Jay, Clime’s design and marketing coordinator, is just one of the students who believes that even though the class is hard work, it’s rewarding. Many of his peers said the life lessons from this class were worth all the effort.
Wyatt Carter, CEO of Clime, said the course was life-changing.
“It taught me how to shape my life and work better,” he said.
“These are real-life skills that you learn at VE and that’s what I enjoy about it,” said senior Jeniffer Campos, chief product officer and sales officer.
Neighboring districts such as Mattituck and Riverhead also offer virtual business courses for their students. Riverhead’s VE class accepts students from grades 11-12, according to their course offerings booklet. They experienced their first in-person trade show, where students showcased their mini businesses and products, in early January. Last November, Mattituck’s VE class was also comprised of juniors and seniors who won for their IT department and finance department at Long Island University’s leadership conference.
The community and local businesses are essential to the success of the program, according to Ellwood, because each year they support the company created in the VE class as “angel investors,” providing both virtual and real money to the student. Ellwood mentioned that this year, the class is traveling to the town of Southold where students will be walking around with flyers and showcasing their business.
“Another thing that’s special about this program, besides the amazing kids and amazing administrative support is that it’s really integrated into the community,” he said. “Southhold is a special place. “
