(left) Fifth Third Regional Marketing Manager speaking with Brooks Bunch students about the marketing decisions behind their partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; (right) BDCHS Teens in Action Members smile with their helmets and harnesses, about to go ziplining at Camp Cristina.

The Brooks Bunch Business Academy (BBBA) is a cents-ation! Back from its COVID-19 hiatus, the BBBA has been hosting biweekly meetings for the past couple months. According to their website, the organization aims to “inform students to make sound financial and business decisions and prepare them for a future of financial success and security.”  (https://db55.org/brooks-bunch-academies/) 

Last week, members toured the Fifth Third Bank offices located on Kennedy Blvd. Students met with branch managers and discussed common misconceptions about banking and saving money. Students were also given the opportunity to see a bank vault, and go up to the 20th floor of the office to meet with the Regional Marketing Manager, wherein students practiced writing checks and even took home some Tampa Bay Buccaneers merchandise as part of the bank’s partnership as the official bank of the team. Members called it a priceless experience in understanding financial processes and careers. 

Another organization, the BDCHS chapter of Teens in Action, recently had an off-campus group excursion. The Teens in Action club fosters leadership and emotional intelligence skills, as well as promoting service opportunities for students. Last week, students traveled to Camp Cristina at the YMCA in Riverview and practiced team-building exercises, such as icebreakers and communication games. 

Teens in Action and BBBA are both application-only organizations, so interested students can consider joining next year.

If you have any photos or information regarding BDCHS life to include in our next feature, please email smarcus@bdchs.org