Deloitte Names Randolph High School as 2009 Virtual Team Challenge Winner

Deloitte's Innovative Virtual Program Educates High School Students on Basic Business Skills; Donation Made on Behalf of Winners to United Way

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Deloitte

Jan 14, 2010, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte today announced Randolph High School in New Jersey as the winner of its 2009 Virtual Team Challenge (VTC), a business simulation and employer branding program designed to introduce high school students to core business skills including teamwork, professionalism, business sense and responsibility. This year's version, SPILL!, challenged more than 6,000 students from 268 high schools across the country to coordinate an environmental remediation of an oil spill. As a result of creating the most efficient disaster recovery plans, the following high school teams were announced as this year's challenge winners:

First Place and Second Place: Lisa Holloway's Class at Randolph High School — Randolph, N.J.
Third Place: Jim Littenhoff's Class at Mother of Mercy High School — Cincinnati, Ohio

A donation of $500 was made on behalf of each of the three winning teams to the United Way of Morris County, N.J. and United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

"The Virtual Team Challenge is an innovative program that gives high school students a hands-on introduction to today's business world," said Diane Borhani, Deloitte's director of campus recruiting. "Through a business-oriented video game simulation, they are able to develop and apply theoretical learning skills into practical ones."

Deloitte is the first company to launch a virtual world curriculum at the high school level. The VTC was first deployed in 2007 with the goal of teaching basic business lessons to today's students who are growing up in a digital world and learning differently than past generations. The game itself takes place in "New City," a 3-D world that challenges students to design avatars, collaborate in teams and apply business skills to clean up the oil spill and win the challenge.

Deloitte tasked high school students to stage the most efficient disaster recovery effort by selecting the most effective vendors, based on research conducted in-game, and hiring them at the best possible price. Students controlled their own destiny by guiding avatars through the streets, halls and offices of New City.

The Deloitte Virtual Team Challenge is a continued effort by the organization to educate students on business and attract the best young talent to careers in professional services.

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SOURCE Deloitte