High School Juniors Learn From APES
APES, which stands for American Private Enterprise System, offers students from each Hardin County High School (E-town High, Fort Knox, North, Central, and John Hardin) the opportunity to come together at an off-site location to learn about business and the free enterprise system. The program has been around more than 50 years, and has gained a reputation among students as being one of the top five things to put on a resume.
Building Leadership Skills
Helping to strengthen resumes is not the only advantage of this program. APES also helps to build self-confidence and leadership skills. The teens are encouraged to network with students from other schools as they work together in groups. One popular exercise is the board case studies. This session allows participants to examine real-life issues that may arise in a business. Students are divided into board groups (each representing a director of the board) and are given situations to study and resolve. The teams must follow a set of business decision steps to achieve the best possible result. Students conclude this exercise by presenting board resolutions to their peers and then must face opposing boards as they explain and support their decisions during the debate session.
Nolin RECC is a longtime supporter of the Hardin County and LaRue County APES programs. Electric cooperatives throughout Kentucky are helping to sponsor APES programs in about 35 different counties.
If you or someone you know may be interested in attending a future APES program, see your high school guidance counselor for more information.