The Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization at the UTM recently received a grant of $5,000 from the Marcus Foundation to fund a program for economically challenged high school students in the northwest Tennessee area, primarily in Weakley, Obion, Carroll and Henry counties.

The program, Students and Educators for Regional Entrepreneurship (SERE), will benefit these students by teaching them the necessary skills to positively impact their own lives and to use their knowledge to help others in the community. The program will focus on a cooperative effort between faculty and students in six area high schools, with help from the UT Martin SIFE organization.

One UTM SIFE committee member will be assigned to each school to aid in the success and instruction of students. SERE students will receive direct instruction by SIFE members on the free enterprise system and entrepreneurship. SERE students will be divided into teams to develop service projects designed to positively impact the surrounding community and gain practical application knowledge of the curriculum. These projects will be presented to a panel of area business professionals at the end of the year. SERE teams also will have the opportunity to compete against each other creating mock businesses and developing various products and services.

SIFE members will mentor SERE students based on the needs of each individual. Each student will receive help in his or her contribution to the SERE team, assistance in academics and counseling on higher education, specific to the individual’s interests. As SERE members enter their last two years of high school, they will be prepared for exit exams, the college application process and scholarship opportunities.

“My philosophy for advising revolves around the fact that the students are in charge. The year is half over and I am proud to report that this organization has recruited more than 50 members this year from across campus, produced outstanding speakers for the fall entrepreneur day and written a grant for expanding SIFE ideals into our area high schools. It is amazing what these students can accomplish if we will step back and allow them to take the lead,” said Dr. Michael Boyd, UTM assistant professor of management and interim SIFE adviser.

For more information about SIFE or the SERE program, contact Erich Stogner, UTM SIFE president, at (731) 881-8982 or erichstogner@esife.org.