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1055 Business Instructional Facility
515 East Gregory Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-2740
Admissions: (217) 244-3890
Fax: (217) 244-9992
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LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION, AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
LEAD ILLINOIS IN THE NEWS - CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Overview
Since 2004, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has sponsored an initiative designed to increase the number of African American, Hispanic and Native American students who enroll in the undergraduate College of Business and subsequently choose careers in business organizations.
Based out of Philadelphia, PA, LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) is a partnership of business and academia encouraging the best and brightest minority high school students to pursue business careers. LEAD exposes students to an intensive three week summer curriculum providing insight into a variety of business disciplines including: marketing accounting, finance, economics, computer science, ethics, leadership and entrepreneurship. Students are also exposed to real business simulations and business careers, with opportunities to learn from successful corporate executives.
Background
The talent pool of African, Hispanic, under-represented Asian, and Native American applicants available to business is limited. Rapidly shifting demographics and the corresponding diversity needs of corporations require businesses to be more proactive in convincing top minority students that business represents an exciting career. Since its inception in 1980, LEAD has been an exceptionally effective mechanism for channeling top minority youth into future careers in business. Today's LEAD's alumni exceed 7,000, 75 percent of whom are currently working in the business field.
LEAD institutes are hosted by the nation's top business schools and provide students with a broad perspective on the business world. Students gain assistance in selecting the optimal career direction, and receive information to map an educational path to success. LEAD counsels its students through college and beyond by opening doors to LEAD partners, mentoring programs, internships and permanent jobs.
Project Detail
The LEAD program is designed to
- Increase the number of underrepresented minority students graduating with a business degree,
- Enhance the educational achievements of these students, and
- Ensure that more minority students go on to pursue successful careers in business.
This Intensive three-week program provides 30 students keen insight into an assortment of business disciplines including: marketing, accounting, finance, economics, computer science, ethics, leadership and entrepreneurship. Classroom discussion is reinforced through a case study and competition. Students will also participate in corporate visits, teamwork exercises, communication skill building, and social excursions.
LEAD Case Competition Offers A Realistic Challenge
The capstone of the LEAD Summer Business Institute is the LEAD Case Competition. Case competitions are considered a test of students' abilities to think and perform under pressure, as well as providing the experience of real-world business issues in a simulated business environment. Students come out of a case competition better prepared to work on teams and to recognize and provide solutions to practical business problems.
The Case Competition allows gifted African American and Hispanic American high school rising seniors to assess a business issue facing a select corporate venue. During the 3-week LEAD experience, students receive in-class instruction, listen to prominent business leaders, and visit an assortment of corporations and industries. Knowledge gained through the synergy of these experiences is used to assess, analyze, and develop solutions, and make recommendations to corporate representatives. LEAD students are divided into small groups to develop solutions to the challenge facing the corporation. On the final Friday, each group will make a final presentation and recommendation to a board of judges comprising of corporate officials and a select group of Illinois faculty. Small prizes are awarded during the closing ceremony. The Case Competition allows students to learn more about business; and in turn, corporate representatives develop relationships with outstanding minority students who could, potentially, be future leaders within the company.
LEAD Planning Team:
William Qualls, Professor, Business Administration
Jewell White, Assistant Dean
Stacy Bennett, Assistant Director
Celeste Richardson, Program Assistant
Contact:
Jewell White, Assistant Dean or Stacy Bennett, Assistant Director
217-333-2740
