The Black United Fund (BUF) of MI in partnership with IKEA Canton launched a youth programming initiative designed to teach Detroit area middle and high school students about creating and running a sustainable retail business. The high school pilot cohort will host their completion and pitch competition event on Friday, August 11th.
BUF of MI is on a mission of supporting, developing, and implementing impactful youth empowerment programs through collaborative partnerships for the underserved and underrepresented in the community. The Youth Retail Business Program says it found the perfect partner in IKEA Canton.
“At IKEA, we believe that together with our social justice partners, co-workers, customers, and communities, we can work to make meaningful and measurable change. That is why we are so excited and proud to partner with the Black United Fund of Michigan to create business experiences for Detroit students that will help build the leaders of tomorrow,” said Kevin Matthews, Area Marketing Manager, IKEA North America Services, LLC.
The middle and high school students in the program experience fun, interactive business experiences that educate youth on the creation of a sustainable retail business that supports a community need, including field trips to a local retailer and the IKEA Canton store. The weeklong program culminates in a fun, celebratory pitch competition where three teams vie for the grand prize, including the opportunity to receive mentorship from IKEA employees as an IKEA Ambassador, and a lunch reception. Judges for the competition include representatives from IKEA and Google.
The high school Celebration Day will take place Friday at 12 noon at IKEA Canton at 41640 Ford Road, Canton, 48187.
Initiatives like this isn’t new for BUF. For over 50 years, BUF provided funding and support to community-based non-profits, many of them start-ups groups that targeted the areas of education, community development, cultural enrichment, and economic development.
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