Last update - 00:00 26/08/2007
Student business leaders show off plans to improve society
By Tali Heruti-Sover
Students in the 2008 Young Business Leadership Program completed the first stage of their program in an impressive ceremony held at the Nahalat Yitzhak Youth Village last Thursday evening.
The approximately 100 participants, who include Jews, Arabs, Druze, Ethiopians, Russians and representatives of all facets of Israeli society, took part in a summer camp that marked the opening of the annual program.
The program was initiated by the Israeli Center for Management in order to encourage a culture of excellence and leadership among Israeli youth, and to imbue leaders and managers with social responsibility and ethics.
The program identifies students in 10th and 11th grade who are academic, social, community and other leaders.
Participants attend a two-week long summer camp where respected members of the Israeli business community teach them to design business plans.
Students break up into entrepreneurial groups, accompanied by a counselor and a corporate advisor, and are instructed to meet various challenges.
They also receive instruction in leadership skills, as well as various activities related to Israel.
Among the many projects they prepared for the program and presented at the ceremony wer a plan for the Israel Electric Company to reduce consumption and pollution, and an instrument to notify drivers of dangerous road behavior.
During the school year, the students will take various courses related to the project, including business administration and industrial engineering. In addition, they will be involved in community initiatives.