Further illustrating Quantum’s dedication to education is The Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Standing as a lasting commitment to the sound business principals and entrepreneurial spirit on which Quantum was founded, the Center provides students with academic curriculum and experiential courses.
Skandalaris Foundation
The Foundation and College Scholarship
The Skandalaris Family Foundation is an independent, non-profit foundation, managed by officers of the Foundation and members of the Skandalaris family. Each year the Foundation awards scholarships to a group of students, characterized by their special talents, leadership skills, unselfish ways, strong values, and commitment to excellence. The majority of our college scholarships will be granted to residents of the State of Michigan.
The foundation has established a college scholarship program to recognize special students. Skandalaris Family Foundation Scholarships fund any chosen course of study at an accredited United States college or university. The Foundation also allows previous recipients to re-apply and may increase their award amounts based on their success.
Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Nationally recognized as one of the top ten entrepreneurial business programs in the country, the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis provides students with many opportunities to become involved in entrepreneurship. Within the academic curriculum, introductory and experiential courses are offered to both graduate and undergraduate students. For MBA students wishing to pursue a degree option, the Entrepreneurship Concentration Track is also available. The internship program provides an additional opportunity for students to work with early stage companies. Programs are available to all business students and students from around the University. For students interested in extracurricular activities, several student organizations offer networking and educational events. Students and alumni who have graduated within the last five years are also eligible to apply for funding for the start-up enterprise from the Seed Capital Fund. It's Olin Cup Competition is a nationally recognized business plan competition.
The Skandalaris Student Business Plan Competition at the Eastern Michigan University College of Business
The Robert and Julie Skandalaris Student Business Plan Competition for high school, community college and university students captures the attention of students early in their education and career discovery. The Competition gives students a taste of the creative opportunity and independence a life of entrepreneurship can provide. Each fall, student business plans from high school, community college and university students are submitted to a panel of faculty and business leaders. The Skandalaris Competition, which was generously endowed by the Skandalaris Family, awards cash prizes to three students in each of two divisions - a high school division and a division for community college and/or university students. The confidence the Skandalaris Competition provides students helps create new business leaders furthering economic development. This well-respected competition helps spark student interest in the field of entrepreneurship and underscores the EMU College of Business and its entrepreneurship program as a principal choice for pursuing a quality and practical business education.
Blessing Basket Project
The Blessing Basket Project® works to reduce poverty in developing countries by paying Prosperity Wages® for artisan products. This unique financial model creates a cycle of entrepreneur driven growth resulting in permanent financial independence for the artisan.
The Blessing Basket Project® is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that believes the rural poor in developing countries are quite capable of pulling themselves out of poverty. We use a unique financial model which allows artisans to earn significantly higher than fair trade wages for their products for a given period of time. The artisan is free to steward that money however they wish. Most often they use the capital to create multiple small businesses. Those entrepreneurial endeavors result in several independent streams of income creating sustainable financial independence from our organization.
We generate the Prosperity Wages® by selling their artisan products.
Find out more about Baskets of Blessings at http://blessingbasket.org/