Extreme Endeavors

Extreme Endeavors Partnered with West Virginia Wesleyan SIFE during the Sam’s Club Environmental Sustainability Challenge.

West Virginia Wesleyan's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has been selected as one of five regional champions for the Sam's Club Environmental Sustainability Challenge. SIFE member Florian Reuter, an international business major from Reiskirchen, Germany, Dr. Scott Bellamy, SIFE co-advisor and associate professor of economics, and Neisha Bridges, membership assistant manager for the Clarksburg Sam's Club, will travel to Bentonville, AR on April 27 to participate in the national judging of the sustainability competition.

Wesleyan's SIFE team captured the regional title on the strength of the large variety of completed environmental sustainable projects. The group organized the first annual "Go Green Convention," the first of its kind in West Virginia on February 21. Over 50 organizations showcased their environmental sustainability efforts and products at the convention, which attracted over 600 people.

SIFE also partnered with Corhart Refractories, Inc. and Extreme Endeavors and Consulting. Students worked closely with Jerry Casto, equipment engineering manager and chair of the Corhart "Green Team," which was formed to focus on improving the plant's environmental sustainability. The Corhart Green Team had already implemented many small projects such as exchanging their old light bulbs for a more energy efficient alternative, turning off unnecessary lights, and implementing recycling programs. The Wesleyan SIFE team identified two additional needs: (1) educational programs to inform and encourage employees about improved energy efficiency and other environmentally sustainable practices, and (2) systems to reduce the use of Styrofoam cups and improve drinking water purification.

The Wesleyan group met the first need by researching and displaying environmental facts on a television in Corhart's cafeteria, educating employees about the plant's internal energy expenses and providing suggestions for reducing energy use in the plant and at home. The second major project was the introduction of a new water purification system and reusable water bottles made of 100 percent biodegradable recycled material. The bottles not only replaced the amount of Styrofoam waste in landfills, but also served as an advertising tool to further raise awareness of environmental sustainability at the plant.

The SIFE team is continuing to work with Corhart on other major environmental initiatives, including improvements to the plant's compressed air system.

The second partnering business was Extreme Endeavors and Consulting, a small firm located in Philippi, which develops technologies to reduce the environmental footprint of businesses. SIFE helped the owner and electrical engineer to develop a way of monitoring electrical use within the organization, identifying major power consumption sources, and finding ways to reduce electricity usage. Using an electronic device connected to a computer, the students monitored the energy use of computers and all other circuits in the company's organization. The group identified an old refrigerator as a major source of wasteful energy consumption.

The SIFE team's success with Go Green, Corhart, and Extreme Endeavors and Consulting has resulted in additional initiatives. The group is currently working with the local Solid Waste Authority and Wal-Mart to establish a permanent electronic waste recycling program for households. They have also approached local city government leaders about including environmental sustainability as one of the important criteria when selecting the city's outstanding business award. The group's goal is to increase the incentive for all businesses in the community to make a larger effort to become environmental sustainable.

Wesleyan and the four regional winners awarded $1,000 will compete for additional prize money in Arkansas. The first place team will receive $5,000, while the second and third place teams will receive $4,000 and $3,000, respectively.

Wesleyan captured its seventh regional SIFE championship in the last nine years last month. The team will be one of two West Virginia schools to advance to the national competition May 10-12 in Philadelphia.

SIFE is a global organization that is active in more than 47 countries and is funded by financial contributions from corporations, entrepreneurs, foundations, government agencies, and individuals. SIFE teams are led by faculty advisers and are challenged to develop community outreach projects that reach the organization's five educational topics: market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business ethics. There are 1,700 SIFE teams globally and 950 in the United States.