Benjamin Franklin Experience
864.246.8123
Benjamin Franklin Experience (BFE) is a new summer program in Greenville, SC open to teens ages 14 – 18. Two-week courses expose students to a wide variety of careers via day-long experiences, each lead by an expert in their profession.
Fields include STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), art, journalism, law, medicine, and more. One day students work with an environmental scientist in a mountain stream; the next, they cut a music track for a TV show.
https://www.FranklinExperience.org
Benefits to Students
Benjamin Franklin Experience creates incredible opportunities for teens to:
- discover the career that really inspires them;
- connect what they learn in school to relevant business skills; and
- learn how to meet expectations of real-world employers.
Quality Programming
The program was designed by a team of experts from fields of psychology, education, and non-profit operations. Our methodologies are founded upon evidence-based research published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
BFE is deliberate about changing the trajectories of young lives at a critical point of development through:
- Evidence-based practices demonstrated by psychologists to allow teens to become receptive to learning that are woven into dynamic, experiential exercises
- The creation of a long-term community to which graduates always belong
- Tracking and continued communications with graduates over years
- Achievements and numbers of our visiting-mentors, exposure to diverse professions, and prestige of our guest-instructors
- Seamless integration of tools and technology
- Certification of soft skills in business etiquette
Connecting Teens With the Business Community
The program also creates meaningful volunteer opportunities for members of Greenville’s business community. Visiting-Mentors attend select classes alongside students. They are high-performing professionals from a variety of fields who are interested in sharing their career stories with students, and participating in class experiences. “So many of my friends and colleagues crave a meaningful way to do something inspirational with their unique skill-sets,” explains Jonathan Shanin. “BFE provides an opportunity for professionals to give back within a feasible time commitment. And kids reap huge benefits.”
