Mercer Island High School’s Advanced Marketing class to represent Washington State in the western regional SAGE competition in San Francisco, CA

Mercer Island High School is a pioneer in the field of youth international entrepreneurship. SAGE (Students Advancing Global Entrepreneurship) is an “international network dedicated to creating the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.” It was only a matter of time before Mercer Island students were ready to join forces with over 4,000 high school students around the world in showcasing their unique skills and business strategies to “address our world’s major unmet needs.”

Last year the Advanced Marketing students formed Mercer Trade, Inc. an on-line global trading company dedicated to “connecting the world, one school at a time.” They wrote a business plan, formed a corporation, sold stock and created a venture to trade goods with a school in Ghana. This year they added Malaysia as a trading partner to expand their relationships with international students. But Mercer Trade has become even more than an international trading company. When the students and their teacher Carol Wiseley travel to San Francisco next week to participate in the regional SAGE competition, they will present their Annual Report of ventures including:

Commercial: A new product line within the MIHS market called “Mercer Fan Gear”
Environmental: Support for Harry Bolson’s solar panel project to power the entire Marketing Department at MIHS. Mercer Trade students did all of the marketing and assisted with the plan for the unveiling event.
Social: Development of a new logo, slogan, brochure and website for the Mercer Island Community Fund, a non-profit organization.
Civic Engagement: Lobbying in Olympia for “Core 24” and educating state government about how students view this decision that will affect their education and future. The students were also invited to serve as student judges for the University of Washington’s Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition.

These students are not only forming relationships with students worldwide, they are enriching their own state and community as well. In San Francisco, they will speak in front of over 40 judges representing business and industry up and down the west coast. Being the only representative school from Washington State, they will continue on to the national competition in Buffalo, NY. They are confident they will qualify for July’s world competition in South Africa. “We are really excited,” said Codi Frickey, a senior and officer of Mercer Trade, Inc. “I have learned so much about business, marketing, writing an Annual Report – and this course counts as credit towards my college degree.” Andrew Rawson, a junior, said, “I have really learned a lot about working as a team. We all have very different working styles, but we have figured out how to work together on a common goal. If we make it to the finals, we will all cancel our summer plans to go!”

A King TV special on Mercer Trade last year caught the eye of OSPI Career and technology officials who contacted Carol Wiseley about the state’s High Demand grant opportunity. The result is a $20,000 grant that went towards developing a brand new course called “International Entrepreneurship” to be offered by MIHS to students throughout the area. Already 22 students have signed up from MIHS, Woodinville, Newport and Bothell. The 3-credit course will be offered 6-8th periods and will bring some of our region’s most successful entrepreneurs into the classroom and place students into the work environment through job shadows and internships. Carol Wiseley developed the course frameworks around elements from SAGE, Seattle University’s Global Entrepreneurship course, the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business as well as other college level programs. Formally approved by the state on April 5th, the frameworks and Mercer Island High School’s International Entrepreneurship Study program is the first of its kind in the State of Washington.

According to MISD Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano, “The Mercer Trade students, their teacher and Mercer Island High School’s very supportive parents, business professionals and administrators are true pioneers in 21st Century teaching and learning. There is simply no better example of what we mean by our 2020 Vision: Our students will thrive in the cognitive, global and digital world while sustaining their passion and inspiration for learning.”