Schulich Business Excellence Academy (SBEA)

Concluding another successful year of the Schulich Business Excellence Academy!

Thank you to all the participants, student leaders, faculty members, and community presenters who helped make the 2025 edition of the SBEA program a great success!

The Schulich Business Excellence Academy is a summer business education and mentorship program supporting Grade 10, 11, and 12 high school students across Ontario. The program targets all students from equity-deserving groups including Black, Indigenous, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with disabilities. The program provides high school students with the resources to become tomorrow’s leaders. The sessions are held virtually, consisting of a series of lectures and group-based activities that are delivered by prominent guest speakers from the community and Schulich Faculty. At the end of the program, an in-person case competition and graduation dinner will be organized at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Keele Campus for the participants who complete the program.

Small groups of high school participants and one Schulich undergraduate student mentor will be introduced at the start of the program. A small group setting is a great way to connect with people while building useful interpersonal and business skills. The goal of the program is to help participants build soft skills, gain business knowledge, and become competitive applicants for post-secondary education opportunities. Participants who complete all of the required modules will receive a Certificate of Completion at the closing graduation ceremony dinner.

We wish the 2025 SBEA graduates a wonderful school year!

 

Program Outline

The program started on July 7, 2025, and sessions ran Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm for three weeks, concluding with an in-person session on July 24, 2025, from 2:30-8:30pm.

The sessions included prominent guest speakers, Schulich Faculty, and interactive activities led by Schulich Undergraduate Students (SBEA Pod Leaders). The final session on Thursday, July 24 was an in-person day including the case competition, school tours, sessions with the BBA Ambassadors (Schulich undergraduate students), along with a BBQ dinner and graduation ceremony.

Summer 2025 Modules

✓ Strategy for Business for Good

✓ The Language of Business

✓ The Equations of Business

✓ The Big Picture

✓ Managing People

✓ Getting Customers

✓ Be Your Own Boss

✓ Think Like a CTO

✓ You Inc.

✓ Road to University

✓ Case Competition

✓ SBEA Dinner and Graduation Ceremony

 

Lead Partner

 

Applications for the 2025 SBEA Cohort have now closed.

Please visit this page again in late March for information regarding the opening of the 2026 SBEA Program application portal.

If you have any questions, please contact the Schulich Business Excellence Academy team at beacademy@schulich.yorku.ca.

 

THANK YOU SCOTIABANK

A special thank you to Scotiabank for their generous support of education, leadership, teamwork, and business for good.

As tomorrow’s business leaders, the SBEA students will be using the knowledge they’ve learned to shape the future. Because of Scotiabank’s commitment, both the high school students and undergraduate student mentors have the skills, tools, and support to continue their education and jumpstart their business careers.

Thank you for being a part of these students’ journeys.

Highlights

  • 100% Would recommend the program to a friend

  • 98% Strongly agreed or agreed that the program made them more aware of opportunities and career paths

  • 92% Reported increased knowledge, skills, and confidence on financial matters, teamwork, and leadership

Benefits for Schulich Undergraduate Leaders

Benefits for Students
  • Chance to give back to the Schulich community and society
  • Gain community involvement, work, and leadership experience for personal and career development
  • A networking opportunity with future leaders in the Black and Indigenous communities
  • A mentoring opportunity with Schulich faculty members and special guests.
  • Paid experiential job opportunity.
  • Exposure to the many streams of business to see where your interests lie
  • Learn of future career opportunities within business fields
  • Become a more successful university applicant
  • Interactive activities every class
  • Gain soft skills, business knowledge, and network with Schulich students
  • Build connections with business professionals and have your questions answered
  • Receive a Certificate of Completion
  • Program is free for all participants

“The Schulich Business Excellence Academy is designed to help address the under-representation of Black and Indigenous students and other equity-deserving groups in Ontario’s business schools and universities. The program gives students a better understanding of the many academic pathways and career opportunities available to them following high school graduation, while also allowing them to build connections with business professionals and student mentors.”

Dean Detlev Zwick
Schulich School of Business