TWO RIVERS — Today's business leaders and tomorrow's potential business leaders have begun working together.

Future Business Leaders of America, a student club at Two Rivers High School, has partnered with the Two Rivers Business Association. FBLA members have attended TRBA meetings and are working on projects that will benefit the city's business community.

"It's going to strengthen both organizations, not only now but in the future," said Jerry Brickner, president of the Two Rivers Business Association. "The TRBA is very, very excited about working with the FBLA."

Brickner said he hadn't been familiar with Future Business Leaders of America, but when he learned about the club, "I thought, why aren't we getting these people involved?" he said. "These are our future entrepreneurs for Two Rivers."

"I wanted the business students to connect with the real world of business," said FBLA adviser Donna Stubbe.

Students take more ownership in a project and have more fun with it if it's for a real purpose, not just a class assignment, Stubbe said.

Sophomore Ben Creelman, the FBLA's Web master, said he thinks it will be beneficial for the students to have real experiences rather than just learning from books.

"I think you learn a lot better from actually experiencing it," said junior Kiley Veldre, whose title is "pizzazz officer." It's her job to make the club and its meetings more exciting.

"I'm really happy that we can get out in the real world and work together with businesses," said junior Kathryn Ruh, the club's reporter.

FBLA members already have started on one project that will benefit Two Rivers businesses. They are conducting a marketing survey at the high school, asking their fellow teenagers what they look for in businesses and what the local business community can do to serve them better.

"Marketing … is changing so much," Brickner said.

The sources from which younger people get their information are different from those on which older people rely, he said.

"By partnering with them we can try and help them," said junior Tyler Shimulunas, president of the FBLA.

Cayla Matte, a sophomore and the club's treasurer, said the partnership will benefit both parties. It will help the FBLA members understand what the businesses are about, and the FBLA can help attract students to those businesses.

Devin Remiker, vice president of the FBLA, said the students started the survey project by surveying students in business classes at the end of last school year.

"We're going to get it more solidified this year and start on it as soon as we can," said Remiker, a junior.

The survey will be administered through homerooms and will be available online.

Another project the students plan to tackle is collecting information for a directory that businesses can use to refer customers to other businesses in the community.

"Every business owner would have a copy," Stubbe said, and a Web-based version also is planned.

Students will visit the businesses in person to collect the information, which will include contact information as well as a description of the business and a photo.

Another way the FBLA will offer its assistance is by encouraging students to volunteer at activities in the community. The group will use the schoolwide e-mail service, announcements that are televised in the classrooms, and posters to get the word out about volunteering opportunities, according to Shimulunas.

Having the two groups working together will benefit Two Rivers and Manitowoc County in the long term, Brickner said. He hopes the partnership will result in some of the local graduates making Two Rivers their home. Young people bring new ideas for business, government and other aspects of the community, he said.

"We believe in trying to keep our youth involved in our community, and we need to keep our community growing," Brickner said.

In addition to FBLA members working on projects to benefit the business community, the TRBA has asked the students what it can do to help them, he said.

"We want to make this a partnership," Brickner said.

Remiker sees the new partnership as a way for the FBLA to pay back the TRBA for ways it already has helped the student group.

"We're kind of returning the favor," he said.

Stubbe explained businesses in the TRBA have provided financial support for activities at the high school. She said she wants the students not simply to expect donations but rather to see there are ways they can help the community.