More than 1,300 Long Island high school students, representing more than 70 schools, will showcase their "virtual businesses" at the 6th Annual Long Island Virtual Enterprises Business Plan Competition and Trade Show being held at Farmingdale State College, Friday, January 13 and Tuesday, January 17, from 9.a.m. to 1 p.m. in Roosevelt Hall (Trade Show) and the School of Business building.

The top 10 "businesses" will go on to the Long Island Business Plan finals in March; the most outstanding will advance to the national competition sponsored by Virtual Enterprises International in New York City in April.  Judging at Farmingdale will be done by Long Island business leaders and members of the college's business faculty.   The competition is sponsored by Virtual Enterprises International, Farmingdale's University in the High School program, and the Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center of New York.

Virtual Enterprises International (VEI) is an in-school entrepreneurship program modeled on the European tradition of apprenticeships.  The program targets high school and college students.  With an emphasis on college and career readiness, VEI offers students a competitive edge through project-based collaborative learning, and the development of 21st-century skills in entrepreneurship, global business, economics, problem solving, communication, personal finance, and technology.  Each year, VEI works with schools to transform 500 classrooms into offices and 12,000 students into business executives.

Farmingdale's University in the High School program enables qualified high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit for approved courses offered in their own schools. Students who register with Farmingdale State College and successfully complete the course will be eligible to earn undergraduate credits that can be used to pursue a degree at Farmingdale or any other college the student wishes to attend.