Pre-College Programs Bring the Summer Months to Life at LeBow
For high school students, learning doesn’t have to stop when school lets out for summer break.
During the summer months, the LeBow College of Business offers multiple pre-college experiences designed to give high school students, from throughout Philadelphia, across the United States and around the globe, the opportunity to keep their minds sharp while introducing them to key business concepts and a college-level learning environment.
The summer kicked off with LeBow’s Department of Accounting hosting the Accounting Finance Business Initiative (AFBI), a week-long residency program for Philadelphia high schoolers. Coursework included Accounting 101, personal finance and data analytics led by LeBow accounting faculty, alongside workshops on resume writing, interview skills and public speaking.
Students also took part in site visits to Big 4 accounting firms PwC and EY; West Philadelphia-based accounting firm Horsey, Buckner & Heffler; and to the Community College of Philadelphia and Temple University.
In its sixth year of existence at Drexel, with the goal of introducing high school students from underrepresented backgrounds to careers in commercial real estate, the NAIOP-Drexel program welcomed 30 students from all over the country from July 14-23. With LeBow BRIDGE students serving as camp ambassadors and sponsorship from NAIOP Greater Philadelphia, this year’s program featured site visits to some of the city’s most dynamic and innovative corporate spaces, including Schuylkill Yards, Lincoln Financial Field, UCity Square and the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Later in July and August, the mid-summer weeks brought three sessions of Camp Business, named an Innovative Business Summer Program for high school students by Forbes and LeBow’s longest-running summer program.
162 students participated over the course of three weeks, one for local students commuting to Drexel’s University City campus, and two “overnight” sessions with participants staying in Drexel dormitories. This year’s campers were drawn from a record number of applications, with global attendees from Honduras, India and the United Kingdom, as well as from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Along with foundational business instruction and a startup pitch competition judged by LeBow faculty and students, students went on Center City-based site visits to Saxby’s headquarters, the Comcast Center, Comcast Technology Center and the Fitler Club.
