CSU, Chico News

A commitment to healthy and vital communities has linked Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the California State University, Chico SIFE team in a private/public sector partnership based on economic education.

At a press conference this Thursday at 2 p.m. on the CSU, Chico campus, Janet Walther, PG&E’s local governmental relations representative, will present a $25,000 check to CSU, Chico President Manuel A. Esteban and SIFE Executive Director Jill Zinke. The grant will support two of SIFE’s community outreach projects: Cal-High SIFE and the Youth Entrepreneurship Camp.

“Over the past few years, we have seen how Chico State SIFE students are making a difference in the community by teaching basic economics and entrepreneurship skills, with a special emphasis on social responsibility and ethics,” said Walther. “We are especially impressed with the high school mentoring program and the business camps for children.”

According to Zinke, a junior business management major from Chico, the PG&E contribution is the largest grant from a private company ever received by the SIFE team.

“This is an outstanding example of how business supporters can work with university students to benefit K-12 students,” said Zinke. “We are pleased that PG&E has noticed our work and are willing to help us improve and expand our programs.”

The first program, Cal-High SIFE, links university SIFE consultants and mentors to Northern California high schools. Throughout the year, one or two college SIFE students are assigned to a participating high school.

“The idea is for the college students to become coaches and mentors to the high school students,” said Zinke. “Then, on March 28-29, the high school students will come to CSU, Chico to participate in a competition and a trade fair in Acker Gym.”

With their college coaches supporting them, each high school team will make a multimedia presentation to a panel of judges from the business, civic and education communities. The teams judged to have the most innovative business and community outreach projects earn recognition and prizes. The champion team also earns a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete against high schools from other states and countries on May 9-14, 2003.

The PG&E grant will provide travel and prize money to 20 high schools in the North State. Any high school in Northern California interested in applying for a PG&E-SIFE education grant is invited to call the SIFE office at 530-898-5888.

The second project will expand the “Wise Kid, Wealthy Kid” youth entrepreneurship camps that have been conducted in the Chico area the past several years. These camps, offered jointly by the CSU, Chico and Butte College SIFE teams, will be expanded to other cities.

“The youth of Northern California’s small, rural communities will learn that they can use their creativity to start micro enterprises, and we’re pleased to have SIFE students become their mentors and business consultants,” said Walther.

The SIFE education grant brings Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s contributions to CSU, Chico to more than $75,000 for scholarships and other programs during the last 10 years.

All media are invited to attend the press conference on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2 p.m., in front of Laxson Auditorium on the CSU, Chico campus.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 14th, 2002 at 11:15 am and is filed under 2002 Fall. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.