It was a pitch that was knocked out of the park by three Utica Community Schools high school students.
The pitch, made at the Inaugural Kiwanis Pitch competition, resulted in a $10,000 award to junior Adeline Paul and a $2,500 grant to an Eisenhower team of Katherine Farmer and Ava Nightingale. The competition included a “Shark Tank” scenario where students presented their community service projects to investors.
Paul will use the grant to create FIRST Lego League teams at all 25 UCS elementary schools. Nightingale and Farmer will offer peanut and tree nut free foods to those with food allergies who receive food through Blessings In a Backpack.
“Being a part of the Kiwanis Pitch Competition was truly an incredible experience,” Paul said. “I met numerous CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs who completely changed my perspective on business. In fact, witnessing their passion for their work and how they treat entrepreneurship as an opportunity to enrich and give back to the community was eye-opening and has inspired me immensely.”
The competition, open to all high school students across the state, provided a platform for budding entrepreneurs to pitch their innovative project ideas aimed at making a positive impact in their communities.
With a diverse range of projects addressing various social and environmental issues, the competition showcased the creativity and passion of the next generation of changemakers.
With the support of the Utica Shelby Kiwanis Club, the winners are now hard at work to bring their projects to life.
Paul is coordinating two events for interested elementary families - Tuesday, May 21st and Wednesday, May 29th, from 6-8 PM. at Velocity, 6633 18 Mile Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48314
The informational sessions about the elementary robotics programs (including demonstrations from existing elementary robotics teams and coaches) will show UCS families what FIRST Robotics is all about. A link to the flyer is available here.
Farmer and Nightingale are meeting with Blessings representatives to identify the need for supporting s to offer peanut and tree nut free foods to those with food allergies within the Blessings in a Backpack program.
The goal of their project is to help those in the food allergy community have better, more inclusive options, such as a peanut/tree nut free granola bar.
Blessings in a Backpack is a statewide charity project that provides students in need food for the weekend, when they do not have access to the free school breakfast and lunch programs.
The success of the inaugural Kiwanis Pitch Competition is a testament to the power of youth entrepreneurship and community collaboration.
Through initiatives like these, the Utica Shelby Kiwanis Club is empowering young leaders and fostering positive change in the community.
To learn more, here is a link to a podcast featuring the winning students:
