Last modified: Wednesday, January 16, 2008
SIFE to convene spring membership meeting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 16, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), an award-winning Indiana University student group, is holding its spring mass membership meeting on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. in Ballantine Hall Room 006. SIFE membership is open to IU Bloomington students interested in project-based service learning experiences.
SIFE has continued its work this year on local, national and global projects involving business ethics, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, success skills and market economics. SIFE members participate in group projects that develop leadership skills, as well as a sense of civic responsibility.
An example of a recent SIFE financial literacy project is its "Smart Cookie Banking." This project has been presented locally in Bloomington and internationally in Thailand, and is used to help elementary school children learn the importance of personal finance principles, such as saving versus spending. Children are taught the importance of saving their discretionary income in an interactive bank and store simulation.
"There are interesting cultural differences related to how kids learn about money. This project has been a great opportunity to teach and share those insights," says SIFE member Norah Chalavanich, who led the project in Bangkok.
This semester begins the group's competition season as members prepare for regional competition in March in Cincinnati. Currently, the IU Bloomington team is ranked in the top 6 percent of 840 national SIFE teams. Last year, IU Bloomington's SIFE team won titles at regional and national competitions.
SIFE Indiana University Bloomington
SIFE at Indiana University Bloomington is a student group advocating service-based learning in the principles of free enterprise. The organization works on projects that improve financial literacy, business ethics, entrepreneurship, market economics and success skills locally and globally. The Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design (AMID) in the College of Arts and Sciences supports SIFE financially and with faculty advisors who facilitate student projects. Faculty guidance is lead by Professor Mary Embry, a Sam Walton Fellow and faculty member in AMID's Retail Studies Program.
