Our New Explore Business Mini-sites Delve into the Impact of Racism

by Diana Drake
A person smiling while using a laptop in a classroom. The laptop is adorned with stickers, including one that says "I eat data for breakfast."

While 2020 has delivered more than its share of challenges, it has also provided rich opportunities to learn and grow.

The Wharton Global Youth Program has tapped the business education expertise within the Wharton community in recent months to feature articles in our online business journal that help high school students think critically about the world’s problems, develop necessary skills, and embrace new ideas and perspectives.

Unprecedented times have also required innovation, which prompted our team in October to build an entirely new content model for high school students and educators. Our Explore Business mini-sites are gateways to conversations, readings and activities that encourage high school students to think deeply about issues affecting business and society.

Our Explore Business mini-sites were inspired by Wharton’s new Beyond Business series of video discussions. Led by Wharton Dean Erika James, the first three recorded conversations with invited guests – beginning in October — addressed the impact of racism on business and society through the lens of entrepreneurship, corporate America, and sports and entertainment. “As a business school, we have a responsibility to provide the tools that will allow future leaders the ability to listen, talk, and learn from the experiences of others when it comes to race and its impact,” said James.

The Wharton Global Youth Program designed online learning opportunities for high school students around each of Dean James’s powerful discussions on race. The first three Explore Business themes are:

Race and the Entrepreneur
An exploration of unjust practices against minority entrepreneurs and how to level the playing field.

Race and Corporate Power
Why companies have committed billions of dollars in 2020 to fight racial discrimination, and why that alone won’t solve the problem.

Race and The Selling of America
A study of brand and Black culture through the experiences of two prominent players in sports and entertainment.

Each Explore Business mini-site for high school students includes:

  • The complete Dean James video conversation for each topic
  • A link to a published summary of this discussion, including conversation starters and additional resources
  • The main video presented as six shorter themed video segments
  • Guided questions for each video segment in PDF format
  • Links to Wharton Global Youth Video Glossary terms and online business journal articles, as well as additional defined vocabulary, included in the PDF
  • A Choice Board providing students with activities to further explore concepts introduced in the video
  • A Teacher Guide to help educators understand the purpose of Wharton’s lecture series and the Explore Business content model and guidance for using the mini-site and discussing these topics with students

Students and educators are invited to visit and use these free online materials wherever and whenever you want to explore compelling and timely topics. We will be adding new opportunities to Explore Business in 2021. Happy New Year!