June 8, 2010 - For three weeks this summer, 150 honors students from local high schools will participate in an intense but fun college course in economics at California State University, Bakersfield.

In its 29th year, Enterprise College teaches high school seniors principles of leadership as well as economic theory and applications. Students who pass the course are credited for both their senior year economics course and Economics 100, a general education requirement at most universities.

They'll learn about such in-depth topics as the national debt, economic recession, housing bubble, welfare and minimum wage. On the lighter side, there will be guest speakers, videos, and topics such as ticket scalping and the high price of college textbooks.

"We make it fun and educational for students," said Dr. Abbas Grammy, professor of economics at CSUB and Director of Enterprise College. "There is lots of humor in the program plus it is a very intensive course."

Enterprise College is a joint program of CSUB's School of Business and Public Administration and the Kern High School District. It is funded by both the university and Mid State Development Corporation, a local public agency that provides loans to small businesses.

The class is Monday through Thursday from June 14 to July 1, meeting from 8:30 to 11:50 a.m. in CSUB's largest classroom, the Business Development Center's lecture hall.

Each class is broken into sessions: economic theory (such as supply and demand), economic applications (such as poverty and welfare) and principles in leadership. For that last topic, Grammy is inviting colleagues and community leaders to speak with the class.

One such guest is Dr. Chuck Wall, a retired professor from Bakersfield College who started the Random Acts of Kindness movement. Wall estimates this is his 14th year as a guest speaker for Enterprise College.

"I like the approach that what we're doing is teaching them what communities are," Wall said.

His three visits will include describing the genesis and importance of the kindness program as well as interpersonal communication skills and how people can interact effectively.

"He will talk about the role of the individual in society in terms of participating in social activities and volunteerism," Grammy said.

The class is already full with 150 students plus a waiting list. The registration fee is just $100, with financial assistance available to low-income students. Grammy said he even has a waiting list started for next summer's course. Student recruitment starts with informing high school principals and counselors of the program in January, then sending brochures to juniors in good standing in March, Grammy said.

For more information, visit Dr. Abbas Grammy's website at www.csub.edu/~agrammy/ or call him at (661) 654-2466.