By Eileen Persike
Editor

Nearly 100 Rhinelander High School students filled the Ced Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC) lodge Wednesday for the annual Mini Business World. The one-day workshop gave students taking business courses the opportunity to spend a day in the business world.

One of the winning teams created a company called Smart Track (Trackor) which makes portable chips to place on items that are easily misplaced, lost or stolen. An app on a smartphone allows the user locate the item. Team members include, left to right, Jacob Stepp, Kali Lund, Nichole Ellis, Brody Hageny, Jodi Lehman and Jon Fox. (Submitted photo)

“I like the whole ‘being a business’ part of it, working as a group,” said Trevor Jaeger, a first time participant in Mini Business World. “We are learning about the business world and how it relates to real life situations.”

Each team has the components a business may have, such as an accountant, designer and a CEO.

Jaeger, a senior, will attend UW-Green Bay and study game design. The exercise is helpful, he said, because of his career choice.

“I’m going into a career in design and I know I’ll be working as part of a team some day,” Jaeger said. “Working as a group, working together here is good experience.”

RHS business education teacher Patrick Kubeny said that unlike previous years, all the students at the event are from Rhinelander.

One of the winning teams selected at the conclusion of the workshop was Wertel, Inc. The team made a locking device that allows a user to secure the key in such a manner that you don’t need to take the key out of the lock. Pictured, left to right in front are team members Shea Peterson, Patience Novak and Kaydee Mikalauski. In back are Kyle Wertel, Elliot Fehlen and Mike Wagner. (Submitted photo)

“We had an increase in students taking our courses this year,” he said. “So, in the past we’ve had students from Tomahawk and Three Lakes and this year we only had enough space for our kids.”

Kubeny and Mishell Fryar, also a business education teacher at RHS are advisors for the popular Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and DECA clubs, this year with membership numbers totaling 120 students. Both clubs help students prepare for careers in business and business-related fields, such as business, finance, hospitality and marketing sales and services.

After a brief introduction to the program in the morning, students broke up into teams of 5-7 and were tasked with giving an out-dated company a new image. Included in makeover was a new product, marketing strategy, logo and tagline. Students gave formal presentations at the end of the day with their peers voting on the best.

In addition to their original project, kids hear about careers, resume building, networking and workplace skills.

Mini Business World is co-sponsored by the School District of Rhinelander, Rhinelander Partner’s in Education (PIE), and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS)