Accounting Careers Committee
>Roster
Next Meeting: September 2007, Date TBD
Minutes: >6-25-07 >12-5-06 > 3-21-06
The goal of the Accounting Careers
Committee is to promote, educate and excite students about the CPA's
changing role and unlimited career opportunities. The committee collaborates
with WICPA staff on programs to promote accounting career awareness.
If you are interested in joining the
committee, please contact committee chair,
Neil Keller, CPA or staff
liaison, Mary Murray.
Accounting Awareness Programs
The WICPA
offers these programs in addition to its CPA image advertising campaign.
100 CPAs
in 100 Schools
WICPA
coordinates a CPA-speaking campaign, including materials, which takes
accounting career awareness to high school students across the state. A
financial literacy component will be added for the 2007-2008 school year.
WICPA High
School Educators Symposiums
Symposiums
provide business and accounting teachers with innovative tools to enhance
curriculum. Teachers make connections with CPAs, college professors and
college students. Supported by the WICPA Educational Foundation, Symposiums
offer teachers the only accounting CPE in Wisconsin.
Grants to
high school business and accounting teachers
Because CPAs
understand that educators play a major role in accounting-career awareness,
they provide grants to teachers who create programs, projects and curriculum
for young people who might be likely to choose accounting as a career. WICPA
Educational Foundation grants are awarded on merit to a small number of
educators who attend High School Educators Symposiums.
Financial
literacy
In fall 2006,
the WICPA Educational Foundation supported Wisconsin high school teachers
and financial literacy by purchasing 25 instructional manuals for teachers
attending Reality Store training. The WICPA also recruits members to
volunteer at Reality Stores. Twenty-eight Wisconsin schools/communities will
hold Reality Stores in 2007/2008. In addition, WICPA is part of a statewide
financial literacy initiative called Money Smart Week. WICPA is also
supporting the AICPA and Ad Council’s national financial literacy campaign
called, Feed the Pig.
Wisconsin
Business Educators Association Conference sessions
High school
teachers learn about accounting curriculum, accounting as a career and WICPA
resources from Wisconsin CPAs and WICPA staff at the WBEA convention each
year.
Young
Entrepreneurial Scholars (YES)
The Young
Entrepreneurial Scholars program takes place for two weeks at the University
of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. YES is sponsored by UW-Oshkosh, the WICPA Educational
Foundation and the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Association of Black
Accountants. Participants include 25-30 low-income high school students who
study math, composition, accounting, business skills, finance and marketing.
Speed
networking
WICPA held its
second speed networking event at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in
spring 2007. Networking events enable students to meet a number of CPAs with
a variety of career backgrounds within a short time frame for a fun,
on-campus activity.
Scholarships for junior- and senior-level college students
The WICPA
Educational Foundation provides scholarships for the fifth year of academic
work leading to a master’s degree in accounting. The Educational
Foundational also awards restricted scholarships.
Additional
support
In December
2006, WICPA held a faculty roundtable to focus on the pending shortage of
Ph.D.s at postsecondary accounting institutions. This project is ongoing.
WICPA also works with other partners in a number of ways. For example, it
provides stipends for Future Business Leaders of America winners to go to
national competitions. It also helps bring CPAs and teachers together to
discuss curriculum development at the state and local levels.
