At a time when many high school students are kicking back for summer break, 29 students from high schools in Detroit and Inkster are getting a leg up at a nine-week camp designed to prepare them for life after high school. The Wayne State University School of Business Administration's BizTech Summer Camp experience combines classroom instruction on business, technology, college preparation and life skills with a paid summer internship and mentoring. The top 10 graduates from the program receive a free computer system.

Students began the camp June 15 with one week of classroom instruction including an orientation to Wayne State, hands-on computer and technical instruction and professional development training. Their next four weeks will include one-half day of classroom instruction and professional development, with one-half day at their paid internships. Students will work full-time at their internship locations the final four weeks of the program until it wraps up on August 14.

"We have selected students who are sincerely interested in business and technology and demonstrate this by means of their attendance, commitment to learning and level of maturity," said BizTech program coordinator, Kiantee Rupert-Randell. "These youth give up a summer of traveling with family or spending time with friends to continue in the learning process, and that is commendable. It is a pleasure to be a part of a program that fosters preparing youth for today's job market."

Internship locations include: Compuware, Vision IT, Powerlink, TechTown, All About Technology, St. Vincent de Paul and various departments at Wayne State. Classroom topics range from computer application training and Web site development to creating and delivering presentations. Business school students also volunteer to mentor the campers throughout the program.

"This camp is one excellent illustration of how Wayne State leverages its resources to serve the community," said dean of the School of Business Administration, David Williams. "Our partnerships with area businesses and relationships with local high schools enable us to deliver a unique educational opportunity for high school students. Everybody wins."

Wayne State's business school has graduated 261 students from this annual summer program, formerly called the E-commerce Summer Camp, since its inception in 2001. The high school graduation rate for program graduates is currently 100 percent. More than three-quarters of these students have enrolled in post secondary education.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.

The School of Business Administration at Wayne State University provides quality business education through AACSB accredited business degree programs.