Barton County’s third annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is live and looking for more contestants and business mentors. Students in grades 7-12 in Barton County can submit a business idea or concept by Feb. 22 in the hopes of taking home cash. This competition, sponsored by Great Bend Economic Development and the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce, was created to challenge our youth, encourage our business community to partner with and mentor our younger generations, and foster an entrepreneurial spirit, and is a partnership with NetWork Kansas. NetWork Kansas holds regional and state Youth Entrepreneurship Challenges as part of its mission in developing entrepreneurship ecosystems throughout Kansas. The partnership with NetWork Kansas allows YEC contestants the use of VentureDash, the contestant portal. Great Bend Economic Development and the Great Bend Chamber partner on this competition as both organizations are tasked with strengthening the area’s workforce for the business community, and in this case, that means nurturing the next generation’s entrepreneurs.
This competition and live trade show will take place at the Great Bend Events Center on March 8. All participants will share their ideas with the public. Students will also make formal four-minute presentations to the judges. The judging panel is made up of a wide array of business professionals.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend this event to cheer on our student competitors and show their support for the next generation of business ideas. Students learn about writing an executive statement and what is important to share in their four-minute presentation, but they are also learning some of the soft skills that will help them navigate life in the workforce. A great side effect of this competition is the student competitors gain experience with professional networking with judges, mentors, and the community, as well as building social capital.
After the trade-show portion of the event, the winners will be announced. There is $2,500 in prize money to be divided among the top competitors. Third place will receive $500, second place will receive $750, and first place will receive $1,000 and the opportunity to continue on to the state level competition. Audience members will have a chance to vote for their favorite and award one competitor $250.
How students can participate
The competition finale is about three months away, so participants are encouraged to get started on their business plans. Students wanting to join the competition can go to the Great Bend Economic Development Inc. web page for more information on YEC at www.gbedinc.com/yec. This page holds sample business plans, links to resources on giving presentations, as well as a few of 2022’s contestant interviews. Also, students can join the competition with a link to the VentureDash contestant portal. After a student joins the competition, they will be paired with a business mentor to help them iron out details, ask them questions, and fine-tune the student’s business plan and presentation.
How the community can participate
The community can help in a few ways, such as a sponsor of the live event or a business mentor for a student. Depending on the sponsorship level, sponsors can speak to the contestants and community before winners are announced at the live event and/or have their logo on all marketing materials. Business mentors are matched with a student, to help them with their business plans and four-minute presentation. If you/your business would like more information about sponsoring the live event or becoming a business mentor, contact GBED staff at marketing@gbedinc.com or call 620-796-2407.
