How can a business quantify the value of employee volunteer programs and increase the number of volunteers?

Teams of students from four high schools across Pennsylvania tackled that real-world business issue as a part of a problem-solving competition sponsored by PP&L, Inc., called Let's Get Real.

Competing teams from South Allegheny High School (Allegheny County), Dieruff High School (Lehigh County), Millersburg Area High School (Dauphin County) and Huntingdon Area High School (Huntingdon County) worked on proposals for several weeks, and presented them Saturday (3/20) in Allentown to a panel of PP&L, Inc., judges.

"Let's Get Real enables high school students to use their knowledge and creativity to propose practical solutions to real corporate issues," explained Larry Sparta, director of educational relations for PP&L, Inc. "It helps them develop problem-solving skills and oral communications skills that employers prize in today's business world."

The judges selected South Allegheny High School as the winner. Each member of the winning team received five shares of PP&L Resources stock. Second place went to Dieruff High School. Each student on the Dieruff team received three shares of PP&L Resources stock.

All of the students who participated received T-shirts and certificates.

Let's Get Real, now in its fourth year, is open to students of public, private, parochial and home schools across Pennsylvania.

Other corporate sponsors of the event are Hershey Foods, AMP Incorporated and Procter & Gamble. The educational sponsor is the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education.