Beverly Anderson '97, a second-year student at the Business School (HBS) and current president of the African-American Student Union (AASU), knows that recruiting minority students for the Business School isn't kids' stuff. But she's a long-range planner, which might explain the presence of the group of 11- to 13-year-old students at the Business School campus on Saturday, April 5.

"Successful outreach can lead to future enrollment," she smiles. "But it's also great to be able to help kids who're eager to learn more about starting a business."

These middle school students are participating in "Teach Them to Fish," the second annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference, cosponsored by AASU and the Merrick Moss Foundation.

Jessica Crawford, HBS '97, organized the conference, which is designed to give young entrepreneurs a competitive edge by teaching the basics of business strategy: how to develop a business plan, structure and finance a business, and how to manage time around school, play, and business.

AASU members are a dedicated group of about 100 Business School students who are committed to improving both the campus and local community. From its inception in 1968, the organization has worked hard to increase minority enrollment and continues this function today.

AASU is active on campus, initiating joint activities with other campus organizations and sponsoring several annual events, including a Faculty and Executive Education reception and a Career and Alumni Conference. AASU also works closely with the larger community, participating in the national City Year fundraiser and creating an AASU Scholarship Fund for minority high school seniors.

The Youth Entreprenuership Conference seems an ideal addition to AASU's long list of community service activities because it unites theory and practice.

Leslie Wims, HBS '97, was excited to offer a workshop on "How to Write a Business Plan": "I thought that participating in the youth conference was a great way to give back to the community, especially in a tangible way that directly relates to what I do and know."

For Sam Jones, HBS '97, who planned the workshop, "Are You an Entrepreneur?," it's never too early to offer the tools for business growth: "I'm now a successful entrepreneur, but I benefited so much from people helping me out when I was young, ambitious, and clueless. Small pieces of advice, like how to open a checking account, gave me hints of light -- and it's time for me to close the circuit. By reaching out to these kids, I get to keep going forward but also look back."

About 30 AASU members took time out from their exacting schoolwork to help plan and execute the conference. Lisa Skeete Tatum, HBS '98, and AASU's future president, is eager to plan next year's conference. Anderson knows that feeling: "This school is about business, but it's also about reaching out to the community."