NBA Star Launches Program to Introduce Students to Business
Minneapolis
Five-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves has launched “4XL—For Excellence in Leadership,” a program designed to expose minority high school and college students to business environments and help them develop skills, experience and relationships that will help them enter their desired careers.
The program has three major components:
• Business Immersions: Students visit companies in a variety of industries to gain insight into their operations, interact with executives and participate in meetings in different functional areas.
• Leadership Development: With 4XL’s assistance, business immersion participants create and implement strategies to share what they have learned with broader populations of young people within their schools and local communities.
• Technology-Based Guidance: Later this year, 4XL will launch its Web site, <www.4XLKG.com>. The site will provide career guidance for students at different levels of education, chronicle the experiences of participants, and enable students to apply for future 4XL immersions.
Garnett launched 4XL at the 2002 NBA All-Star Weekend last month in Philadelphia. Two Minneapolis area students, who had been selected based on their school-related achievements and leadership potential, traveled to Philadelphia to learn about the business side of the National Basketball Association. Romone Penny, an 18-year-old senior at DeLaSalle High School, and Andrew Porter, a 20-year-old junior at Macalester College, completed a three-day immersion into many aspects of the NBA.
4XL soon will begin to select minority students from various U.S. cities and expand its immersion programs to other industries, including advertising and public relations, banking and financial services, consulting, entertainment, manufacturing, marketing, nonprofit, retail and technology.
“So many young people hope for a bright future but need the road map to help them pursue their passions and realize their dreams,” says Garnett. “4XL provides opportunities for young people to gain exposure, guidance and access to the business world, and I am excited to learn along with them.”
4XL was launched in partnership with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a New York-based nonprofit organization. MLT works to increase the presence of minorities in graduate business schools in preparation for leadership positions in corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, and nonprofit organizations (see Black Issues, Nov. 22, 2001).
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