The Future Business Leaders of America is the largest student career business organization in the world. Each year, FBLA helps over 230,000 members prepare for careers in business. A group of students from the Jersey Shore FBLA are getting practical experience in operating a business through their involvement in operating a small store at the Nippenose Valley Village Senior Retirement Community.

Stephanie Steinbacher is the president of the Jersey Shore High School chapter of the FBLA; she said that they got involved with Nippenose Valley Village through her mother, Julie Steinbacher, is part owner of NVV.

“Through my mother, we were able to identify a need at NVV for a small store that residents could get various small items such as toiletries, writing supplies, stamps, candy, and a variety of other small items,” Stephanie told Webb Weekly. “The retirement village is located in kind of an isolated location, several miles from the nearest store. We did a lot of planning and research, including interviewing the residents at NVV to find out their needs and how we could meet those needs.”

She said this project is an excellent way for the students to gain practical knowledge of business and that they have partnered with the Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Career and Technical Education program.

Stephanie said any profits from the operation of the NVV store will go to helping Jersey Shore High School’s service club, #weSHOREcare, and the charitable projects they are involved with.

She is a senior and hopes to study non-profit leadership at college and go on to law school. She recently honored by the YWCA Northcentral PA as a “Young Women of Excellence.”

Dolly Oden, who teaches business courses at JSHS, is the advisor to the Jersey Shore FBLA, and she said the effort at Nippenose Valley Village has been “an amazing experience” for the students.

“The students have worked on the project from the planning, implementation, setup, inventory selection, to the actual accounting and operation of the store. The students even had to set up a bank account for the project,” Oden said. “They had to interview the residents to determine needs and wants to determine the inventory. The students have been learning some great communication and business skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. FBLA members pride themselves on their community service hours, and this project is another opportunity for our members to learn about volunteering while also gaining important business skills.

She continued, “Another partnership event organized by the FBLA members in partnership with the NVV is that this month, the FBLA members collected donations of bags of candy for a Halloween trick or treating event for the residents at the Nippenose Valley Village. On Sunday, October 27, the students had the residents come out and select from the donated candy to pass out at the event. Then FBLA members and area children went trick or treating with the residents. It was a great time for the students to interact with the residents and again improve their communication skills. The Nippenose Valley Village staff and residents have been very welcoming to our FBLA members, and I think everyone enjoys the interaction. Both parties are building valuable relationships and skills that will continue to have an impact on them. The students really look forward to their time at the NVV, and they are always looking to expand their partnership.”