Teens Mix Business Creativity with Web Technology
- By Staff Writer
- Published 09/1/2009
- Youth
- Unrated
RICHARDSON— High school students meeting recently at The University of Texas at Dallas School of Management vanquished the stereotype that teenagers use the Internet only to socialize and be entertained. A group of 18 local teens put blogs, social networks, Twitter, video sharing, virtual worlds, Wikis and the like to work at Web 2.0 Summer Camp. They spent the weeklong day camp exploring creative ways to apply the latest in information technology to business issues re-imagined as entrepreneurial opportunities.
The driving idea, according to camp director Dr. Mark Thouin, School of Management faculty member, was to walk participants “through a formal problem-solving methodology to address a handful of problem areas,” such as how to help organizations be green, reduce their healthcare costs, and market and promote their products to consumers ages 16 to 24. Once beyond preliminaries, though, Thouin encouraged pedal-to-the-metal creativity among the campers, all soon-to-be juniors or seniors. From as far north as McKinney and as far south as Cedar Hill, participants also came from Frisco, Richardson and Dallas.
The Turner Twelve Organization, a nonprofit group that works to create first-generation college graduates, sent the largest contingent, a dozen Class of 2011 members, who are all enrolled at Lincoln High School in South Dallas. All the participants “worked in groups to create, strategize and implement the most effective way to deliver their IT solutions,” Dee Ellington, the School of Management academic adviser who envisioned the camp and made it a reality, said. Contemplating ways a make-believe company might reduce healthcare costs, Kyle Tyler, a recent transplant from California soon to attend Berkner High School in Richardson, proposed in a Tuesday brainstorming session that the company direct employees to Wiki sites about food that could both show them healthier eating alternatives and allow them to share their own.
One of Tyler’s teammates for the exercise, LaCira Boyce of Cedar Hill, suggested the company could set up its own healthcare blogs on behalf of workers. A third teammate, Brandon Bostic of Centennial High School in Frisco, offered that “the company could hold a clinic and get Twitter or Facebook to tell the employees about it.” “When it comes to IT, there’s opportunity everywhere,” Thouin, director of the school’s Management Information Systems program, told the participants in advance of a closing-day competition.
Divided into five teams, the campers vied to deliver the best Web 2.0 solution to a real environmental, healthcare or marketing challenge. A panel of judges evaluated the content, delivery, time management and overall impression of their presentations, which had to run less than 20 minutes. Contest winners were: First Place: (i.M.A.D.) Ivory Alexis, Mickendra Barrett, Ariel Sanders, DeAunté Offord, Lincoln High School, Dallas. Second Place: (The AJ’s) Anish Jacob, Boyd High School, McKinney; Antionette Steverson, Jeodecy Johnson, and Jeniece Madison, Lincoln High School, Dallas. Third Place: (The Vans) Kyle Tyler, Berkner High School, Richardson; Brandon Bostic, Centennial High School, Frisco; and LaCira Boyce, Cedar Hill High School.
—Info by University of Texas at Dallas
Antionette Steverson, was a member of the AJ’s team that finished second in the five-team contest.
Back row (from the left): Gwen Fleming, Ariel Sanders, Wendell Harris, Ivory Alexis, Anish Jacob, Kyle Tyler. Middle row (from the left): Jeniece Madison, Jeodecy Johnson, Mickendra Barrett, Damian Medrano, Dr. Mark Thouin.
Front row (from the left): LaCira Boyce, Antionette Steverson, Kwanetta Davis, Tosha Coleman, Veronica Jacquez, Brandon Bostic
The driving idea, according to camp director Dr. Mark Thouin, School of Management faculty member, was to walk participants “through a formal problem-solving methodology to address a handful of problem areas,” such as how to help organizations be green, reduce their healthcare costs, and market and promote their products to consumers ages 16 to 24. Once beyond preliminaries, though, Thouin encouraged pedal-to-the-metal creativity among the campers, all soon-to-be juniors or seniors. From as far north as McKinney and as far south as Cedar Hill, participants also came from Frisco, Richardson and Dallas.
The Turner Twelve Organization, a nonprofit group that works to create first-generation college graduates, sent the largest contingent, a dozen Class of 2011 members, who are all enrolled at Lincoln High School in South Dallas. All the participants “worked in groups to create, strategize and implement the most effective way to deliver their IT solutions,” Dee Ellington, the School of Management academic adviser who envisioned the camp and made it a reality, said. Contemplating ways a make-believe company might reduce healthcare costs, Kyle Tyler, a recent transplant from California soon to attend Berkner High School in Richardson, proposed in a Tuesday brainstorming session that the company direct employees to Wiki sites about food that could both show them healthier eating alternatives and allow them to share their own.
One of Tyler’s teammates for the exercise, LaCira Boyce of Cedar Hill, suggested the company could set up its own healthcare blogs on behalf of workers. A third teammate, Brandon Bostic of Centennial High School in Frisco, offered that “the company could hold a clinic and get Twitter or Facebook to tell the employees about it.” “When it comes to IT, there’s opportunity everywhere,” Thouin, director of the school’s Management Information Systems program, told the participants in advance of a closing-day competition.
Divided into five teams, the campers vied to deliver the best Web 2.0 solution to a real environmental, healthcare or marketing challenge. A panel of judges evaluated the content, delivery, time management and overall impression of their presentations, which had to run less than 20 minutes. Contest winners were: First Place: (i.M.A.D.) Ivory Alexis, Mickendra Barrett, Ariel Sanders, DeAunté Offord, Lincoln High School, Dallas. Second Place: (The AJ’s) Anish Jacob, Boyd High School, McKinney; Antionette Steverson, Jeodecy Johnson, and Jeniece Madison, Lincoln High School, Dallas. Third Place: (The Vans) Kyle Tyler, Berkner High School, Richardson; Brandon Bostic, Centennial High School, Frisco; and LaCira Boyce, Cedar Hill High School.
—Info by University of Texas at Dallas
Antionette Steverson, was a member of the AJ’s team that finished second in the five-team contest.
Back row (from the left): Gwen Fleming, Ariel Sanders, Wendell Harris, Ivory Alexis, Anish Jacob, Kyle Tyler. Middle row (from the left): Jeniece Madison, Jeodecy Johnson, Mickendra Barrett, Damian Medrano, Dr. Mark Thouin.
Front row (from the left): LaCira Boyce, Antionette Steverson, Kwanetta Davis, Tosha Coleman, Veronica Jacquez, Brandon Bostic