Evangel Enactus team ranks in Top 7% in nation

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Evangel University Enactus team was judged as one the top 32 university teams as a result of the competition at the Enactus National Exposition in Kansas City, Mo., May 21-23, 2017.

Enactus has 457 active teams in the U.S., engaging more than 16,000 college students in more than 900 community projects. Evangel qualified for the nationals by advancing through one of the six regional competitions in April.

Eleven Evangel students and two faculty advisors attended the Enactus National Expo in Kansas City.

At the national competition, the 106 teams were placed in 16 leagues with six to seven teams in each league. Each team was judged by a panel of 18 business executives on the effectiveness of a printed annual report and a 17-minute presentation, followed by a five-minute question and answer period.

The presentations told about the projects the teams completed to fulfill the Enactus mission.

Evangel was judged as second place in this initial round, coming in behind the team that came in second in the nation in the final round. The Evangel team was awarded a trophy and $1,000.

“The 62 members on our team had another amazing year of projects that fulfill the Enactus mission, which is to use entrepreneurial action to improve the lives of others,” said Bernie Dana, business professor and primary Enactus advisor.

“Their oral and visual presentation, annual report, and response to the judges’ questions showed the high level of professionalism, commitment to service, and impact that the entire team is having on the community,” Dana continued.

Evangel projects help the community

Evangel’s seven-member presentation team shared five of the nine projects the team worked on this year.

1) The team completed a three-year project to fully implement co-mingled recycling across the entire Evangel University campus that will annually remove 67,000 gallons of paper, 112,000 plastic bottles, and nearly 26,000 aluminum cans from the landfill.

The Evangel administration agreed to cover the ongoing cost, after the Enactus team was successful in applying for a $12,980 grant from the Ozark Headwaters Recycling District to cover the one-time cost of recycle containers.

2) Enactus students launched a campaign to increase by 100 the number of Greene County faith communities that support Harmony House, after learning that only 29 of the 402 faith communities supported Harmony House in 2016.

“This campaign developed by Enactus will have a lasting impact on our ability to shelter and advocate for victims of domestic violence,” said Esther Munch, development and marketing director for Harmony House.

3) Evangel’s Enactus members also developed a program to engage up to 72 businesses located within or adjacent to the Weller Neighborhood, to regularly support the Weller Elementary School Activity Fund.

“These donations will enable the students to participate in field trips and other experiential learning activities that help them expand their horizons,” said Dana. The Enactus team donated $300 to launch the project.

4) The EU Enactus team also proposed that the Assemblies of God (AG) Youth Department add an Enterprise Division, with a business plan competition, to its 2018 Fine Arts Festival. More than 65,000 AG junior and senior high students compete in the fine arts program annual, but there is no option for students whose talents and interests are in business.

“The Evangel Enactus team has prepared all the materials needed to expand the fine arts program in a very different and exciting way, that will enable us to encourage AG youth to develop their God-given business skills,” said Tom Groot, director of student discipleship for the AG National Youth Department.

5) Evangel’s Enactus team raises their own funds to support their projects and activities. They do so by encouraging parents to purchase survival kits for their Evangel students during mid-term and final exams. The kit sells for $20 and includes 20 food and beverage items essential for comfort during the stress of exams. This exchange enhances the well-being of the students and parents, while enabling Enactus members to run a business.

This year, the team used marketing and cost management skills to increase sales by 11.5%, decrease food costs by 9%, and increase net profit by 21% to just over $12,000.

Other student-led projects included helping a veteran start a business; and preparing a comprehensive marketing study that led to the development of a coffee shop on the EU campus that “proudly serves Starbucks Coffee.”

Evangel’s seven-person presentation team for 2017

• Emily Brown, from Painesville, Ohio
• Brooke Hove from Victoria, Minn.
• Eden Janeway, from Henderson, Nev.
• Meredith Kyle from Loveland, Colo.
• Shane Puente from Huntsville, Ark.
• Katie Renner from Perrysburg, Ohio.
• Terran Tipps from Castle Rock, Colo.

About Enactus

Enactus is an international organization (formerly known as SIFE, or Students in Free Enterprise) that connects student, academic and business leaders through entrepreneurial-based projects that empower people to transform opportunities into real, sustainable progress for themselves and their communities.

Corporate sponsors such as Walmart, Walgreens, Fidelity Investments, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and Enterprise Holdings play a major role in providing financial support and in recruiting students for jobs.

Founded in 1975 in the U.S., there are active Enactus groups on more than 1,700 college and university campuses in 36 countries around the world. According to their research, there are more than 70,500 students participating in Enactus programs worldwide, impacting nearly two-million people a year.

About Evangel Business Department

The Evangel University Department of Business has nearly 200 undergraduate students earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with majors in accounting, business education, finance, management, marketing, and nonprofit business & social enterprise.

The Business programs also include 120 adult students in online and seated programs to earn a Bachelor of Science in Management or a Master of Organizational Leadership.

For more information, visit the Evangel University Department of Business, or contact Bernie Dana at (417) 848-8652.

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BD/PKL