Bruce Oberhardt Teaches Valuable Problem-Solving Skills to Empower Youth at NCCU

DURHAM, N.C. - July 28, 2014 - PRLog -- Dr. Bruce Oberhardt, renowned author and entrepreneur, delivered a workshop on problem solving to a select group of high-achieving and academically-gifted high school students at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Using his book Dragonfly Thinking: Problem Solving for a Successful Future as a foundation, Dr. Oberhardt shared his knowledge with students in an effort to equip them with the critical thinking skills needed for life and career success.

The three-hour learning experience was entitled “What is Problem Solving?” In the workshop, Dr. Oberhardt explained how to find and validate what he terms “BIPs,” or big, important problems. He also led students in exercises that enabled them to use some of the valuable problem-solving techniques he had demonstrated, which he maintains are imperative in today’s world.

“The ability to think critically, to tackle and solve extremely difficult and important problems, has been the key to the greatest innovations in history,” notes Dr. Oberhardt. “Problem solvers generate economic growth and create new jobs – they are our greatest assets for building a successful future. Knowing how to identify and effectively solve important problems will help students in their lives and in their careers, so we must teach them these vital skills.”

Dr. Oberhardt’s workshop was part of NCCU’s Summer Youth Business and Entrepreneurship Academy, an 11-day program that ran from June 16 to June 27. The program was designed to give students a range of knowledge, tools, and techniques to help them succeed.

Students in the program had the opportunity to engage in sessions with professors, entrepreneurs, and local and corporate leaders, and to participate in competitive educational exercises. Courses in marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, leadership, and ethics provided knowledge that students later applied in a team business plan development competition. Additionally, students traveled to corporations for on-site visits that exposed them to the real-world applications of the problem-solving skills and other business principles they had learned.

Former Dean of the School of Business at NCCU, Dr. Keith Piques, praised Dr. Oberhardt’s session. “Bruce delivered an engaging and mind-expanding problem-solving workshop at summer academy. In it, he brought the powerful concepts of Dragonfly Thinking to life in a very practical manner that will benefit the students for years to come,”  he said.

To learn more, watch a short video with Dr. Oberhardt about Dragonfly Thinking by visiting here http://youtu.be/e0FiYDWRxTw



For more information about Dr. Bruce Oberhardt please visit: http://bruceoberhardt.com

Dr. Oberhardt can be reached at bruce@bruceoberhardt.com (mailto:bruce@bruceoberhardt.com) or (919) 848-6520.

About Bruce Oberhardt, Ph.D.

Dr. Oberhardt is a professional speaker and conducts workshops in problem solving techniques. His book Dragonfly Thinking focuses on problem solving skills and problem solving activities to engage people in creative problem solving. His passion is to provide this knowledge to students so they may be successful in their future endeavours.

Dr. Oberhardt is the President/Chief Scientific Officer of NanoVector. As such, he has led and/or participated in a number of first-of-a-kind technological developments including “CoaguChek” and founded Cardiovascular Diagnostics: a successful IPO. Major focus areas have included the development of and consulting in multidisciplinary and disruptive technologies in addition to solving problems associated with the intersection of biomedical technology and business.