MHS Takes Second in Team Challange

took second in the 2011 Team Challenge, a program designed through a partnership between the district and Allentown High School and the Greater Monmouth Chamber of Commerce's Education Committee.

Manalapan High School took first place, and Loretta Kuhnert, the President of the Greater Monmouth Chamber of Commerce (GMCC), formally recognized the students who won and took the time to present an overview of the district's partnership with the GMCC.

"We believe that through our Team Challenge program we contribute to the development of future business leaders," Kuhnert said.

This year the competition was hosted by CentraState Healthcare System who themed the event, "An Ethics and Business Initiative for Tomorrow's Leaders".

The education committee of the chamber is made up of volunteers, who are also local business owners. The volunteers work year-round donating time and money to the program, Kuhnert said. The education committee was thus established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so that donations could be received in order to futher education programs. 

The Team Challenge program has been in existence for fifteen years, Team Challenge co-founder Bill Bladel explained. The program is made up of eight to 12 students per high school from each high school in the Freehold Regional High School District and Allentown High School. For the past seven years, the program has incorporated an ethics component so that the students can learn how to deal with questionable moral decisions in business.

"When you combine education with the ethical decision making process you can develop the leaders of the future and from a business standpoint that's why I am involved in [Team Challenge], to help the students enter the workforce," Bladel said.

Claude Blanc, the Chair of CHB Associates, a Team Challenge 2011 sponsor, presented the Board with all of the benefits of the program which include character development, transitioning the students from high school to college to career, learning ethical decision making, meeting students from other high schools and backgrounds, and gaining real life experience and skills.

The teachers begin training for Team Challenge in late September, student orientation begins in late October where the students are presented with their ethical dilemma, and the Team Challenge Day is held in December.

Blanc said that all of the students were well prepared and engaged on the Challenge Day where they had to present their solution to the ethical problem to a panel of judges made up of executives and administrators. This year, Manalapan High School took home the winning trophy; Marlboro High School got second place and Freehold Township High School took third place.

Other districts have expressed interest in joining Team Challenge and the Superintendent of the Asbury Park School District Dr. Denise Lowe attended last night's presentation. Also, the Director of Division of Programs for the State of New Jersey, Wendy Galloway, was one of the judges on Challenge Day.

Other judges at this year's Team Challenge include Stop and Shop Operations Manager, Robert Carlisle and CentraState Healthcare System, Sr. VP & Medical Director, Benjamin Weinstein.

The FRHSD partnership with the Greater Monmouth Chamber of Commerce is one of the many school-business partnerships that exist within the district with the aim to increase business learning opportunities for students and also improve collaborative and encouraging relationships that exist between FRHSD and the local business community.