EXTERNAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH
ABOUT COMMUNITY OUTREACH
At VSB, an important part of our mission to develop business leaders for a better world is looking beyond our classrooms and connecting to the larger community outside of Villanova. Our external community outreach programs focus in particular on increasing awareness of business education and careers among women and underrepresented minority groups. While the business world has made tremendous strides, gender and racial disparities persist in salary, promotional opportunities and leadership roles.
PROGRAMS
Young Women in Business: in partnership with the Center for Access, Success and Achievement (CASA), this program introduces girls in the VIEW program (Villanova Initiative for Engaging Women) to business concepts and business disciplines including economics, finance, accounting, business law, management and marketing.
College Essay Review: this annual program offers an experienced professional to review and make suggestions and edits to a student’s common application essay or an essay of their choice. This past year, approximately 50 volunteers across the University have reviewed 142 essays from 117 students across the Philadelphia area.
High School Engagement: we offer workshops to introduce students to business education, host tours of VSB with the opportunity to observe business classes and meet with students and faculty, and we collaborate with local schools on programs.
NEWS
Accounting Career Awareness Program
VSB’s Department of Accounting and the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) co-hosted an Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP) this past summer for students from Philadelphia area high schools. The objective of ACAP is to promote college education and careers in accounting to students from underrepresented minority groups.
VSB Hosts Young Women in Business
This past summer VSB hosted a virtual Young Women in Business program for high school students in the VIEW (Villanova Initiative for Engaging Women) program. VIEW is a four-year program, run by Villanova’s Center for Access, Success and Achievement, for talented female students from Philadelphia public high schools. Its mission is to prepare students for admission to college and to provide the skills needed to succeed in higher education. Students participate in intense academic enrichment programs and personal and professional development workshops throughout the year.
Developing Future Female Business Leaders
Since 2017, VSB has partnered with the Agnes Irwin School for Girls (AIS) to offer a “Shark Tank” entrepreneurship program and a mini-business conference. AIS students learn business fundamentals and had the opportunity to pitch their business concepts to a panel of Villanova judges. In February of this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, VSB hosted a virtual mini business conference for AIS students to learn more about key areas of business such as marketing, management, corporate finance, and supply chain management.