During a Franklin Community High School introductory business class, students were able to travel to markets in Egypt, India, Sweden and Saudi Arabia without leaving the classroom.
They did so with the help of virtual reality headsets available from the school’s technology center. Business teacher Stephanie Woodring decided to incorporate the VR excursion as part of her curriculum after she went to Paris, France this summer to learn more about foreign business marketing and customs.
During the 10-day trip this summer, she toured famous sites, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and Versailles, but also studied the city’s marketing strategies, she said.
“I had never been to Europe before. I’ve learned a lot about communicating with people in a foreign country. I learned about the culture and expectations and I learned about conducting business as a tourist,” Woodring said. “I learned about the importance of their marketing there. Marketing was everywhere in Paris and in other places, it’s not.”
Advertisements were prominently displayed on the sides of Parisian buildings, and one of its largest marketing campaigns when Woodring visited involved the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will take place in the French capital next summer, she said.
Woodring’s trip was funded by a 10x Teacher Inspiration Grant. The grant program, which started in 2016, gives teachers a chance to take a trip or have an experience that will fuel their teaching. It’s funded through a partnership with Johnson Memorial Health, Franklin schools spokesperson Robin Betts said.
Woodring said she hopes her time in France, as well as her ability to introduce students to different markets through virtual reality, can help her students as they learn about business customs around the world.
As part of a project during the fall semester of the Intro to Business class, students must pick a country to report on, presenting on the country’s customs and how people conduct business, Woodring said.
“They have to research the customs of business and the culture of the country,” she said. “They have to research trade barriers, provide details about the country, their languages, dress codes, dining customs, social customs. If you were to do business in this country, what are the ‘dos’ and ‘dont’s’ they want you to know and honor when you’re visiting?”
Christian Gash, a freshman, is studying Greece for his project.
“Greece has a lot of beautiful landscapes and tourists that come every year. They have more tourists that come than the entire population,” Gash said. “They have the biggest supply of olives worldwide and they’re very formal. It’s kind of rude to nod your head, you have to say ‘yes’ instead of nodding your head. Business-wise, they like to dress up. They like to demonstrate kindness and show people they’re welcome.”
Knowing customs across cultures is essential when conducting business, as a businessperson communicates with people around the world, he said.
With the VR headsets, freshman Sylar Hall was able to virtually visit markets in India, Malaysia, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, he said.
Hall is working on a project about business practices in Germany, and learning about other countries helps business people know how to adjust to different cultures, Hall said.
“You have to know what to do and not to do, as well as generally learning about the demographic you’re trying to sell to,” Hall said. “In Germany, they are really big on punctuality and being real formal, just like big business corporations in general.”
Hall wants to pursue a career as a defense contractor, and took the class to learn more about what it’s like working for a big business, he said.
“I was planning on learning more about what to do when working for a big business, what you gotta do to keep a good public image, to keep sales up, all that good stuff,” he said.
Ava Hettwer, a junior, took the Intro to Business class her freshman year and is now enrolled in a sports marketing class. Learning about business helped Hettwer gain self-confidence and learn how to present herself to varying audiences, she said.
“It taught me how to dress professionally and how to interview,” Hettwer said. “You don’t want to do certain things that would offend a country if they have rules and customs. It taught me to do things in a different way, to make eye contact, have good communication skills and address your issues with people. If you are really positive about something, share your ideas because it could go a long way.”
