Creativity and a persuasive message about ethical principles earned five teams of high school students cash prizes totaling $7,500 in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) Ethics Awareness Challenge video competition.
The competition, sponsored by MBA Research and Curriculum Center (MBA Research), focused on the eight ethical principles outlined by the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative (Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law and Viability). These principles should guide personal and ethical decision making, and ethics education should “convey that principles are constant foundations—not relative to a specific situation—and that doing what is right prevails over self-interest when the two may appear to be in conflict,” according to the Daniels Fund, a foundation in Colorado supporting principle-based ethics education.
“Providing students with a framework for approaching ethical issues in the workplace is one of the most important ways we can help prepare them for next steps in life,” said Holly Atha, President/CEO of MBA Research. “Thanks to the generous support of the Daniels Fund, we’re able to develop resources and competitive events that do just that.”
The competition was an extension of BPA’s Leadership Academy on Ethics. Student teams produced short public service announcement videos focused on the importance of the ethical principles. The winning entries are as follows:
1st Place:
Emma Frampton and Jacob Stevens
Twin Falls High School (Twin Falls, Idaho)
BPA Chapter Advisor: Lorraine Rapp
Watch the Video
2nd Place:
Devin Estrada, Hunter Krause, and Alexander Hergenreder
Saginaw Career Complex (Saginaw, Michigan)
BPA Chapter Advisor: Joshua Fabera
Watch the Video
3rd Place:
Abigail Ronnebaum and Jack Ross
Farmington High School BPA (Farmington, Minnesota) / Wayzata High School (Plymouth, Minnesota)
BPA Chapter Advisors: Bobbi Stewart / Lisa Barnholdt
Watch the Video
4th Place:
Kindle Thomason and Eryn Thomas
Highland Craigmont High School (Craigmont, Idaho)
BPA Chapter Advisor: Lisa Hadley
Watch the Video
5th Place: Brennen Badertscher and Carson Harbaugh
Perry High School (Massillon, Ohio)
BPA Chapter Advisor: Keith Brown
Watch the Video
“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do,” said Patrick Schultz, BPA’s Director of Education & Technology Integration. “The Challenge winners provided excellent examples of this and the importance of ethics education.”
In addition to the cash prizes, the winning students earned invitations to BPA’s National Leadership Conference, which will be held May 4–8 in Dallas, Texas.
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About Business Professionals of America
Founded in 1966, Business Professionals of America (BPA) is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for middle, high school and college students preparing for careers in business, finance, management information systems and related fields. BPA provides members with opportunities for growth through education, competition, community service and personal development. The organization has 38,000 members in 1,600 chapters across 25 states and Puerto Rico and an international presence in China, Haiti and Peru. Learn more at www.bpa.org.
About MBA Research & Curriculum Center
Established in 1971, MBA Research and Curriculum Center (MBA Research) is dedicated to supporting educators in the preparation of students for careers in the areas of business administration, including business management, finance, and marketing. A not-for-profit operated by a consortium of state education departments, MBA Research utilizes a systems approach to product development that supports the teaching of business, which focuses on research, industry-validated standards, curriculum, instructional resources, assessments, and professional development. Learn more at www.mbaresearch.org