At the NSLC on Business & Entrepreneurship, high school students experience realistic simulations that let them see and feel what it’s like to start, manage and build a company. Working with your peers, you will tackle the challenges of a start-up – from idea generation to securing financing, to launching your business. By the end of the program you will understand how to turn a great idea into a business plan, perfect your elevator pitch and land the all-important angel investor.
College Credit is Available for This Program
The National Student Leadership Conference has a unique partnership with American University to offer college credit for our high school summer programs. The American University is distinguished as a premier global university and known for turning “ideas into action and action into service.” As a result of this NSLC/AU alliance, students attending the NSLC’s summer programs for high school students have the opportunity to take college credit classes taught by American University faculty at all NSLC locations. This credit option enhances your education within the framework of your program experience, without interrupting NSLC activities.
Read more about earning college credit through your NSLC program.
Program Highlights
Management team simulation
Guide a growing company making decisions in finance, production, R&D and marketing.
Entrepreneurship simulation
Develop your own product and present your strategy for turning it into a success.
Business lecture series
Learn how to build and manage your own business from distinguished professors.
Dates & Locations
Yale University
New Haven, CT
- June 24 – July 2
- July 6 – July 14
- July 18 – July 26
- July 30 – August 7
University of California, Berkeley
Fordham University
Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
- June 28 – July 6
- July 10 – July 18
- July 22 – July 30
University of Washington
Work together to grow a business
Hands-on Simulations
Our business program for high school students uses an interactive approach to learning that gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in the challenging complexities of the business world. You and your team will experience the ups and downs of running your own company during a realistic simulation used by students at many of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities. You will control the fortunes of your company as you make decisions in finance, production, research and development, human resources and marketing.
Our college-level lecture series will give you a foundation of knowledge that is vital for your success.
Topics include:
- Creating a Business Plan
- Accounting and Finance
- Personnel and Human Resource Management
- Marketing and Corporate Strategies
- Financing the Entrepreneurial Venture
Meet business professionals
While at the NSLC’s business summer program for high school students, you will meet with and learn from leaders in the business world. In past years, NSLC students have heard from special guest speakers including top executives from companies and organizations such as Verizon, US Airways, AES Corporation, Lockheed Martin, the Business Roundtable and the New York Stock Exchange.
Examples of past guest speakers include:
Steven Rogers
Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School
Craig Wortman
Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship, Booth School of Business
Anna Cabral
Former Treasurer of the United States
David Beckerman
Founder, Starter Athletic Brand
Joe Born
CEO, Aiwa
Shawn Miles
Executive Vice President, Mastercard Global
Ryan Panchadsaram
Former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer, the White House
Pallav Agrawal
Lead Data Scientist, Levi Strauss & Co.
Lina Scroggins
Program Manager, Corporate Engineering at Google
Andrew Humphries
Head of School, Harrison Metal
Becca Shepherd
Finance Business Partner, Tides
See behind-the-scenes at start-up's
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
An important part of the NSLC’s business summer program for high school students is seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the area of Business:
- Yale School of Management
- Yale Entrepreneurial Institute
- Corporate Site Visit
- Times Square
- Rockefeller Center
- Corporate Site Visit
- Uber
- AT & T Park
- Wells Fargo Museum
- Federal Reserve
- Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square
- Pier 39
- Wall Street
- Federal Reserve
- Museum of American Financial History
- Huge, a Digital Strategy Company
- Fifth Avenue
- Top of the Rock: Rockefeller Center
- Statue of Liberty Cruise
- Federal Reserve
- Corporate Site Visit
- Chicago Innovation Exchange
- Navy Pier
- Magnificent Mile
- Microsoft
- The Boeing Company
- Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship
- Space Needle
- Museum of Pop Culture
Leadership Training
At the heart of the NSLC is a leadership curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. From the beginning of your youth leadership program you will learn to work as a team during an exciting Ropes Challenge Course. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
Leadership topics tailored to the youth leadership program on Entrepreneurship & Business include:
- Personality Styles and Group Dynamics
- Conflict Resolution
- Negotiation
- Public Speaking
- Intrapersonal Communication
Your NSLC tuition is all-inclusive. Your tuition covers course materials, housing, on-campus meals, social events and transportation throughout your program.
We offer a comprehensive scholarship program to assist qualified students with the cost of NSLC tuition, based on financial need, academic merit and extracurriculars.
Fundraising is a great way to raise funds to contribute toward your NSLC program tuition while also forging relationships with leaders in your community.