Teams from eight Pennsylvania schools will compete at PPL Corp. headquarters Saturday (3/25) in the final round of a statewide program aimed at helping students understand business issues and develop problem-solving skills.

Let's Get Real, sponsored by PPL and administered by the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Children, allows students to experience the kind of strategic decision-making faced by the business world.

The eight schools, fielding 11 teams, will meet at 9 a.m. in PPL's North Auditorium and tackle two problems identified by PPL.

Five teams will strive to identify renewable energy sources that have the greatest potential in Pennsylvania to reduce dependence on fossil fuel electricity generation. The other six will recommend how PPL can better use the Internet to improve its visibility and find new customers.

The finalists are from Dieruff High School (Lehigh County); Mechanicsburg Area High School (Cumberland County); Greater Nanticoke Area Educational Center (Luzerne County); Palmyra Area High School (Lebanon County); Stroudsburg Intermediate School (Monroe County); Halifax Area High School (Dauphin County); Strong Vincent High School (Erie County); and Wallenpaupack Area High School (Pike County).

"Let's Get Real enables high school students to use their knowledge and creativity to offer practical solutions to real corporate issues," said Larry Sparta, director of educational relations for PPL. "It helps them develop communication and problem-solving skills that are of great value to employers in today's competitive business world."

A panel of PPL judges will evaluate the students' performance. Each student on the winning teams will receive two shares of PPL stock and each winning team will receive a trophy suitable for school display.

Runners-up will receive one share of PPL stock. All participants will receive tournament T-shirts and certificates of appreciation. Faculty advisers of the winners and runners-up will receive plaques.

Let's Get Real, now in its fifth year, is open to students of public, private, parochial and home schools in Pennsylvania. The other corporate sponsors of the event are Hershey Foods, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co. and Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises - EPIX Division.