Dear Friends of G.E.P.,

 

Please join us in congratulating the students from Global Education Partnership’s (G.E.P.) Entrepreneurship and Employment Training Program at John C. Fremont High School, in Oakland, California.

 

These dedicated young men and women won first prize at the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) International Entrepreneurship Competition, held from May 9-13 in Kansas City, Missouri. After vying with 30 other schools for the California State SIFE championship---and winning for the second year in a row---our students competed with teams from all over the world to win the International SIFE Championship in Kansas City. 

 

The G.E.P./Fremont crew presented its own youth-driven business plan, which was evaluated based on the feasibility of the plan, contribution to the communities through service learning and overall presentation. In the finals Fremont High School’s nine-member team edged out a team from Poland by a 6-5 vote! 

 

The Fremont team’s victory was truly inspirational. These students attend one of the most resource-deprived high schools in Oakland (a Title 1 school where only 18% of entering freshmen graduate, almost 60% of the students are on welfare, and 79% live in single-parent households). Their dedication, focus, and leadership throughout the year have been remarkable!

 

G.E.P. would also like to give special recognition to the Y&H Soda Foundation, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, and Peet’s Coffee. Their generous support has enabled us to provide services to students at Fremont High School along with hundreds of other low-income youth in the Bay Area.