School of Business to kick off 3rd annual Summer Venture in Business

Lauren Cunningham, communications director

Students in the Summer Venture in Buisness program take notes while listening to a presentation. A color overlay features the program's logo, a lightbulb on top of a stack of books.

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Business will host its third annual Summer Venture in Business program June 2-4 at Capitol Federal Hall.

The program is a pre-college experience for underrepresented students, including minority and potential first-generation college students, who are interested in business, and it familiarizes them with collegiate life both in and out of the classroom. It aims to serve as a pipeline program by introducing participants to business topics and equipping them with the resources to apply to KU and succeed in college.

This year’s cohort includes 21 students from 13 high schools across Kansas and in the Greater Kansas City area. Participants will stay on campus in Downs Hall and receive a scholarship that covers the general cost of the program.

Steven Johnson Jr., director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Student Programs at the business school, will oversee program activities, which will be conducted by KU business faculty, staff and students, along with campus partners and industry professionals. The program agenda includes workshops about college and career preparedness, lectures about a selection of the school’s academic majors, a visit to Hallmark’s Lawrence Production Center and social activities.

Featured sponsors of this year’s program are EY, Hallmark, Koch Industries and KPMG.

The inaugural Summer Venture in Business took place in June 2017. Former KU Student Body President Stephonn Alcorn and Vice President Gabby Naylor, both of whom are School of Business graduates, introduced the program in their Student Senate coalition platform in 2016.

More information about Summer Venture in Business can be found at business.ku.edu/programs/summer-venture-in-business.