In fall 2015, Enactus was processed as an official club/organization, according to J. Howard Kucher, assistant professor in the Brown School of Business and Leadership.
ABOUT ENACTUS
Enactus is “a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better more sustainable world,” according to Enactus.org. The organization sees business as a tool to make the world a better place by using traditional non-profits and charitable organizations to improve social conditions, as in feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and protecting animals.
Members raise money through profit-orientated events to support their social improvement projects. The projects they conduct are long-term, 3 to 4 years, rather than short-term projects. A current social project they are participating in is the Great Kids Farm, which engages Baltimore City School students in the process of food preparation. They envision “a generation of healthy young people in Baltimore City fully aware of their ability to create positive change in their communities, and empowered to make choices to sustain themselves, their families, their communities and the earth,” according to BaltimoreCitySchools.org.
ENACTUS BENEFITS STUDENTS
Along with the improvement of social conditions, members themselves will also benefit from Enactus. They gain practical skills that supplement what they have learned in the classroom, said Kucher. They also learn how to develop and manage a project, which teaches management and leadership skills. Members learn relationship skills through working in teams to complete the project and to achieve a set of objectives.
“We are able to apply the concepts we learn in class to an actual situation,” said Elizabeth Kamosa, an active Enactus member. These new sets of skills learned from Enactus will also benefit the members’ resumes. Enactus is essential to add to a resume since it appeals to employers globally. Members can join in competition based on the skills gained from participation in projects.
ENACTUS COMPETITION
Stevenson’s Enactus organization did not compete at the 2016 Washington, D.C. Regional Competition but attended as observers. Even though they did not compete, they were able to connect with other teams, network at the business fair and watch other schools compete, said Kamosa. They will participate in the 2017 competition. Enactus is recommended for students who have an interest in helping others, and they do not have to be business majors, said Kamosa.
Interested students who want to join Enactus can contact Kucher or Michael Tringali, Enactus president, through campus email.