IU's SIFE team announces 2011-2012 outreach projects
Indiana University's award-winning Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has selected its academic outreach projects for the 2011-2012 academic year.
This year, SIFE students will work with artisans and communities in Guatemala, Kenya and Ecuador, expanding upon projects that create entrepreneurial opportunities for international artisans. In addition, SIFE students will implement projects to serve the local population, offering credit counseling for IU freshmen and seniors, addressing the needs of returning veterans, and teaching environmental literacy to elementary school students.
At its annual spring competition this year, IU's SIFE team placed in the top 10 percent of over 550 teams from across the nation, receiving the second runner-up award in the opening round of the SIFE USA National Exposition in Minneapolis in May.
The 180 teams, composed of more than 2,500 students, were judged on how well they created economic opportunity by helping others.
Members of IU Bloomington's SIFE team come from a diverse array of disciplines. As part of the SIFE program, these students learn to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real-world projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in their communities and around the world.
For the second year in a row, the IU Bloomington chapter has been recognized as part of SIFE's 4.0 club, a designation for teams that have achieved long-term sustainability in their core mission.
This year, SIFE also welcomes Ashley Hasty as a co-advisor. Hasty brings experience in sales and management positions with national retailers combined with expertise in social media, the psychology and sociology of clothing, and entrepreneurship.
"The team's accomplishments in the last year were unprecedented," said Mary Embry, faculty advisor for SIFE and a lecturer in IU's Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design (Retail Design Merchandising Group). "The momentum behind those achievements this year is undeniable. It's a fantastic time for students to join the organization and build their leadership presence while doing amazing, community centered projects. "
About Students in Free Enterprise
SIFE is an international non-profit organization that brings together the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1500 college and university campuses in 40 countries. Through projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, the university students, academic professionals and industry leaders who participate in SIFE are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change. For more information about the Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design, see http://design.iub.edu/.
