UPDATE: Aaron Hooyboer’s name was misspelled in the original post. It has been corrected below:

Dennis Magatelli’s virtual enterprise class at Rancho Cotate High School is raising funds for their annual trip to a trade fair in Oakland next March.

The class, which is part economics, part small business skills, part marketing, draws a cross section of students at Rancho Cotate, according to Magatelli.

Students apply for leadership positions in the class and are selected by a guest professional who spends time in the class reviewing applications, resumes, letter of recommendations and conducts interviews to see who would best serve their peers. The team then creates a “virtual product” along with marketing materials. They determine price points and other sales decisions and take their item to the internet where they attempt to “sell” them to other classes that are participating in the curriculum.

“This is the fourth year I have taught it,” Magatelli said. “It’s a cool class.”

“It’s basically their class,” he said. “In the past we have produced sunglasses, energy drinks.”

This year, the product is a cooler with radio speakers on it. Students have dubbed it “Rolling O.” This year’s CEO is senior Aaron Hooyboer.

Students in a graphic design class at Rancho created a prototype that Magatelli’s students are using to pitch their product, he said.

“This year’s class is kind of taking a step forward,” he said.

“My role is more of a guidance observer.”

In order to make it to the annual trade show, the 28 Rancho students typically rely on hot chocolate and holiday candy sales as well as dine and donate agreements with local eateries in addition to whatever else the students can come up with, Magatelli said. This week the class got a boost in the form of a $200 check from Argent Bank which was presented to students by Argent’s Linda Carlson and Don Cliver, Magatelli said.

To give Magatelli’s class a hand getting to Oakland, email him at Dennis_magatelli@crpusd.org

To learn more about the Virtual Enterprise curriculum class, click here:

http://veinternational.org/resources/curriculum/

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