Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Encourages Kansas Students to Turn Business Dreams into Reality

From selling gourmet cupcakes to goat milk soaps, the Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance (WKREDA) encourages budding young business owners in grades six through twelve to enter the Kansas Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Series and compete for over $70,000 in cash prizes!

“Through involvement in this challenge, participants are exposed to entrepreneurship and are empowered to see themselves as an entrepreneur, all while gaining additional valuable life skills by participation,” said Bailee Henry, Manager of Entrepreneurship Programming and eCommunity Partnership for Network Kansas.  

Sponsored by Kansas State University Research & Extension, Kansas State University Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, K-State Research and Extension 4-H, and VentureDash, the event begins at the local level with students competing against their peers. Winners will then get a shot at presenting their unique business idea during the statewide finals on April 16-17th at K-State.

Thinking Outside the Box

From the start, students are challenged to think about their community from a business perspective: What does it need? What do people want? Then they get to work designing a three page executive summary of their concept and 90-minute video pitch of ideas that have included the creation of a dog friendly cafe, t-shirt printing business, clay earring subscription kits, car fresheners and self-care products.  

During the local competitions, school gymnasiums hum with activity as parents, teachers, coaches, and area business owners interact with students as they present their concepts and products.

As spokespeople, students also get to sharpen their communication and public speaking by answering questions about their business ideas. Often donning suits, ties, skirts, dresses, and professional uniforms related to their area of interest, they also come dressed for success.

Judges take things like market opportunity, management capability, the product service offering and business model into consideration, rating each on the viability to grow the idea into a profitable business. 

For the students, it’s an experience that gives them invaluable knowledge about the ins and outs of starting a business. 

The Future Starts Now

The competition also paves the way for the very real possibility of students turning their idea into a brick and mortar business.

“The possibilities are truly endless for young people throughout Western Kansas who want to make their towns even better than they already are,” said Kyla Keller, Rural Education and Workforce Alliance Coordinator for the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation, one of the communities represented by WKREDA. “We hope more kids will choose to put roots down in their hometowns, and by doing so, will continue driving our economy forward with the creation of new jobs and opportunities.”  

Discover more about the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Series by clicking here!