CBBS News
BB&T Economics Institute Brings High School Scholars to Clemson
In July, 60 high school students from across the nation came together for the Clemson University Summer Economics Institute. The program offers a unique opportunity for rising high school seniors with an interest in social policy issues to learn more about the principles and applications of economics.
Thanks to a generous grant from BB&T, there was no cost to students who attended the camp. During the week-long session, students lived in supervised, on-campus dorms, which fostered a more realistic sense of collegiate life. Seth Mason of Robbinsville, North Carolina found the diversity of student at the camp beneficial to his experience while Mark Penner of Niceville, Florida commented on the positive impact of the group dynamic. Those who attended the camp also received a certificate of achievement and other gifts to honor them for their work.
According to Will Schwartz, a rising senior at Westfield High School in Westfield, New Jersey, “I learned a great deal about economics. Not so much in the models, but more in the way that economists think.” Schwartz also noted that after attending the camp and interacting with the Clemson faculty, he decided that he wanted to be a professor.
Over the course of the camp, students attended lectures and participated in group discussions and debates. Topics addressed ranged from international trade to economics and the law to gender differences in wages. In addition, the completed activities in Clemson’s stock market trading room, the only one of its kinds in the southeastern United States. The program was hosted and led by internationally acclaimed faculty from the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University.