Youth Corps Uses Valentine’s Day To Teach Important Business Skills | Arts & Culture

Youth Corps, a local leadership program for high school students, will wrap up their business module on Thursday, February 14 with Valentine’s Day flower booths located throughout the Columbia area.

Since the beginning of the year thirty-six students have been learning all aspects of owning and running a business with the help of local business owners and Youth Corps alumni. Students learn the art of flower arranging as well as business skills such as marketing, sales, and accounting.  Each team is assigned a location for sales and is responsible for manning that location, making sales, and building arrangements on site.  This year the locations are as follows:

Buds for Buddies - Bank of America, 301 Harbison Blvd.

A Date to Remember - Jiffy Lube, Knox Abbott & 12th St., Cayce

Rose Buds - Circle K, Forest Drive & Trenholm Road

Prime Time Floral Design - Decker Blvd. & Trenholm Road

Flower Up! - Exxon, Sparkleberry & Clemson Roads

As of today, the five teams have accrued more than $18,000 in pre-sales, which they will deliver on Wednesday.  The goal is to match the pre-sales number with on-site sales on Valentine’s Day.  As a way to give back to the community, each team will donate a portion of their gross receipts to a charity of their choosing.  Some of the selected organizations include those that serve children with downs syndrome and the SC Autistic School.

Youth Corps is a leadership program for outstanding ninth and tenth grade students in the Midlands.  The Youth Corps year is broken down into nine different modules including Philanthropy & Non-profits, Crimes, Victims & Justice, Media & Journalism, Legislation & Government, Business & Economics, Investment & Finance, Career & Higher Education, and Arts & Culture.  As part of the experience students start their own business, help pass an actual bill at the State House, interact with young people living at DJJ, participate in service projects and much more as they develop their leadership skills and learn about our community.

For more information please visit www.youthcorps.net