WS Chronicle

Winston-Salem high school students making the grade in business

Many high school students 15 – 18 years of age in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are serious about being successful business owners. They comprise Generation Z,  also known as Gen Z, and according to Square Digital’s first ever Gen Z Entrepreneur Report, they are “proving dedication to the entrepreneurial grind.”

On Saturday, Sept. 21, from 1-4 p.m., the Southeast Neighborhood Association (SENA) will celebrate this group by giving Gen Z students an opportunity to showcase their businesses, brands, products and services at the association’s annual Community Day Festival at The Enterprise Center located at 1922 S. Martin Luther Kind, Jr. Drive in Winston Salem. The featured high school entrepreneurs are students at Winston Salem Prep Academy, along with some from Winston-Salem State University.

Winston Salem Prep Academy has added entrepreneurship to its curriculum. The academy’s principal, Dr. Keisha Gabriel, says, “The integration of entrepreneurship into the curriculum is beneficial because it prepares students to adapt to the future.” She adds that ”it fits perfectly with our focus on deeper learning and equipping students to model the skills within the portrait of a graduate.”

Winston-Salem State University National Association of Black Accountants students will highlight the event with a financial literacy game where participants will visit “life stations” which are designed for the students to set up their own household and learn many financial lessons in the process. Dr. Carol Cain, chair of WSSU Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, describes this game as a way to explore the importance of making smart financial choices with a live interactive budget simulation experience.

Other activities will include special performances by the Winston-Salem Prep Academy band and its cheerleaders, a bicycle giveaway sponsored by Summit School’s Twin City Bike Collective, live entertainment, food and prizes. Another SENA Community Day initiative will help young and future voters understand how to vote, when to vote, why we vote, and register those who are eligible. 

The Southeast Neighborhood Association, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, was formed in 2013 and is dedicated to representing the interests of our residents and promoting a sense of belonging, safety, and inclusivity within our community. Through various initiatives and programs such as our annual Community Day celebration, we strive to address the diverse needs of our residents, from organizing neighborhood events to advocating for improvements in infrastructure and public services. This is the 11th annual Southeast Neighborhood Association Community Day Celebration and fundraiser event. 

The Southeast Ward is one of the most culturally diverse wards in the city of Winston Salem. SENA reinvests all money raised back into the community it serves. The needs are numerous and not easily addressed. With sponsorships and fees received, the association will continue to assist residents in several areas such as food insecurity, household needs, safe recreational sites for the youth in the community, and beautification of our neighborhoods. Winston Salem’s Southeast and East Wards are noted food deserts with elevated incidences of health and poverty-related disease.

Headquartered in The Enterprise Center, 1922 S. Martin Luther King Jr, Drive,  SENA is an organization of several community groups in the Southeast Ward seeking to improve the area through the collaborative efforts of its residents, the broader community, and city leaders.

Since the formation of SENA in 2013, the Southeast Neighborhood Association has:

*Developed a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank to offer bagged groceries to neighbors in the SE Winston community;

*Provided financial assistance to neighbors in crisis situations and for necessary home repairs for residents living in the neighborhood;

*Held workshops for seniors to learn how to navigate cell phones to pay bills and schedule doctor’s appointments;

*Spearheaded the drive which helped residents of Reynolds Park Road get traffic “delineators” to relieve the issue of speeding on Reynolds Park Road;

*Before, during and after the COVID epidemic, partnered with S.G. Atkins Community Development Shared Use Kitchen to serve over 50,000 hot meals to neighbors in the Southeast and East wards of the city;

*SENA partnered with State Representative Kanika Brown and America’s Teen Technology with students from Carter G. Woodson School to kick off  “Computer Science Education Week” with an event named the Hour of Code. It was an hour-long coding challenge to give students an introduction to computer science.

Make plans to support this year’s Community Day activities celebrating the youth in Winston-Salem’s community. For more information, please contact Patricia Degraffinreaidt at 336.734.6916 or email, sgatkinscdc2@gmail.com.