School to hold sixth annual Summer Venture in Business

Lauren Cunningham, communications director

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Business will host two sessions of its sixth annual Summer Venture in Business program for high school students from June 5-7 and from July 8-10.

The program brings rising 10th, 11th and 12th grade minority students and/or potential first-generation college students with an interest in business to KU’s Lawrence campus. Students stay on campus and learn about business topics, resources for applying to KU and tools to help them succeed in college and their careers. This pre-college experience is offered at no cost to participants.

The 2022 cohort includes students from 30 high schools in Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Kentucky. High schools represented among participating students include:

Kansas

  • Lawrence Free State High School in Lawrence
  • Topeka West High School and Washburn Rural High School in Topeka
  • Bishop Ward High School, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, and Wyandotte High School in Kansas City
  • St. James Academy in Lenexa
  • Olathe East High School and Olathe Northwest High School in Olathe
  • Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park
  • Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village
  • Gardner Edgerton High School in Gardner
  • Newton High School in Newton
  • Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg
  • Salina South High School and Salina Central High School in Salina

Missouri

  • Guadalupe Centers Charter, Ewing Marion Kauffman School, Park Hill High School and Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City
  • Lee’s Summit West High School in Lee’s Summit
  • Lee’s Summit North High School in Lee’s Summit
  • Liberty High School in Liberty
  • Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights
  • Platte County R-3 High School in Platte City
  • Duchesne High School in St. Charles
  • Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School in St. Louis

Texas and Kentucky

  • Westwood High School in Austin, Texas
  • The Woodlands College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas
  • Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, Kentucky

Dyamond Ross, pre-collegiate program coordinator for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at the School of Business, will oversee program activities, which will be conducted by KU business faculty, staff and students, along with campus partners and industry professionals. The agenda includes workshops about college and career preparedness, lectures about a selection of the school’s academic majors, company tours of Hallmark’s Lawrence Production Center and EY’s Kansas City office, and social activities.

Featured sponsors of this year’s program are EY, Hallmark, Nueterra Capital, Evergy, Huhtamaki and the Capitol Federal Foundation.

The inaugural Summer Venture in Business was held in 2017 after former KU Student Body President Stephonn Alcorn and Vice President Gabby Naylor, both of whom are KU business school graduates, introduced the program in their 2016 Student Senate coalition. The 2020 and 2021 programs were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information about Summer Venture in Business can be found at business.ku.edu/svb.