Wingate University (Day 2)

As the saying goes...work hard, play hard!

Today is our first full day of FELC and the students are ready to put their companies into a test drive! Brian introduced several projects today and it's easy to see that the stress is real. Many of the students are asking "how in the world can we accomplish all of this in such a short amount of time?" By the end of the week, they will be amazed at how much they can do!

On top of making profit for their companies during the week, FELC students are assigned SEVERAL projects! Below is a list and description of all the tasks the students were assigned today:

1. Company Business Plan & Marketing Strategies: Every company needs a business plan! It's the road map to success. Each company will create and write-out a business plan as if a formal request to a banking institution.
2. The Commercial project: Advertising is key to creating good business. Each group will film (or act out) a proposed commercial for their company.
3. The Founding Father Principles project: The project will help each group explore a "founding father" principle (the values that George Washington and John Adams championed) that support entrepreneurship in this country.
4. Speech Contest: Two representatives from each company will get a chance to shine! Each person will have 3-5 minutes to give a well-developed speech on a specific topic with logical thoughts and arguments.

The students and staff of FELC got a real treat today. Dennis W. Moser, of The Moser Group, Inc., came to speak and tell his story about the beauty of a "Delayed Gratification Lifestyle." Dennis taught the students about how to achieve personal success - though it doesn't happen overnight. Dennis found his passion for real estate very early in his life and he used that passion to work hard and reach for his dreams of financial peace.

"Money is not what you're after, it's the peace and the time and the tools it offers," said Dennis.

One of the most notable aspects of Dennis' speech was the adorable companion, Tex, he brought with him to help in his demonstrations.

Before introducing the "Founding Principles" project, the students watched an inspirational video called "We Still Hold These Truths" put together by the Heritage Foundation. You can watch the video below:

The students also got the chance to play a fun game with our program director, Brian, called "Ask the Expert." Brian selected one student at a time to come up on stage and they would then become an "expert" in a specific subject! The catch? They have no idea what that subject is until Brian tells them! Our very own counselor, Zach, was a very convincing professional ballet dancer! At the end of the game, the students analyzed the public speaking skills of each player. It turns out that confidence and body language says a LOT when it comes to speaking in public!

The second speaker to talk to FELC students today was the president and founder of the Listen First Project, Pearce Godwin. The Listen First project is a nonprofit advocacy group who believes in the power of listening to transform our discourse and change the world. Pearce gave the students invaluable advice on how to learn simply listening rather than talking. In the midst of trying to cooperate, coordinate, and communicate within the student's newly created companies, I'd say learning to LISTEN to our fellow peers is a lesson critically needed!

After dinner, the students were released to compete, participate, play, socialize and get to work! Tonight was our very first "activity time" and the student's first opportunity to make some money! The concessions groups were selling every type of snack and candy imaginable, the style group was advertising their monogrammed t-shirts, the entertainment groups were hosting two different movie films and the publications group was already taking pre-orders for their end-of-camp picture DVDs! Whew! Every group is off to a great start and it's time to see what these students are made of.