Hilton Head Preparatory School Launches Institute for Business & Innovation

Hilton Head Preparatory School is thrilled to announce the launch of its new Institute for Business and Innovation, a groundbreaking initiative designed to equip students with essential skills expected for the future of business. This program will initially offer a diverse curriculum focusing on key areas such as personal finance, professional tools/technology, a reinvented economics curriculum and introduction to business strategy. Two of these four courses will be required for all high school students. As students progress through the program, they will delve deeper into advanced subjects including marketing, sales, corporate finance, entrepreneurship, and personal leadership.

“Our goal at Hilton Head Prep is to be the best in class, literally and figuratively,” said Paul Horgan, Head of School at Hilton Head Preparatory School. “In talking with Universities, our families, and our students, we saw the need to increase exposure to business principles before college and deepen our connection to the Hilton Head Island business community. The Institute for Business & Innovation will not only deliver against this need, but better PREPARE our students for their futures.”

The Institute aims to provide students with practical knowledge via a wide range of courses, with the curriculum delivered through hands-on application and real-world experiences. This approach will foster a well-rounded understanding of business principles and innovation practices. In addition, Hilton Head Prep has joined DECA, the country’s leading high school business association, started a student-led business club, opened a new school spirit store (run by the club), is testing a student internship program in the community this summer, and is planning career fairs, networking events, business field trips, business speaker series and more.

Leading the charge is the newly appointed Director of the Institute for Business & Innovation, Jeff Rehling, who brings an impressive 30 years of experience in corporate marketing, consulting, and academia. Jeff has held prominent positions at renowned organizations such as Crayola, Sesame Workshop (makers of Sesame Street), and was a Partner at Edgewood Consulting Group where his client list included J&J, Campbell’s, Keurig, and Bayer. Most recently, Jeff served at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, where he taught the senior Marketing Strategy Capstone classes.

“Over the last 13 years while teaching at USC, I’ve seen first-hand what it takes for young people to be successful in college and in their careers,” said Jeff. “I know, in one way or another, everyone is going into business and the earlier students get exposed to business concepts and thinking, the more successful they will be. We are fortunate to have a very successful business community in the lowcountry, I’m excited to connect our students to this community as we grow.”
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