Compete for prizes and win the Youth Entrepreneurship Competition title! Show your Community Pride!
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Help Your Youth Become The CEO Of Their Own Lives
BUILD.org is excited to announce our 2023 Greater Boston Youth Pitch Competition! This youth entrepreneurship competition furthers the BUILD mission to arm our youth with real world experiences and skills.
Students will be led through the human-centered design process to create and pitch their own business idea. Additionally, they'll compete for cash prizes and a partner stipend. This competition will have teams from schools or community organizations across Greater Boston experience BUILD’s Design Challenge.
Students dive into videos to meet people
like them dealing with problems in their communities
Students pick their client and
define their biggest problem
Imagine a unique product,
service or initiative
Build models of their solution
to share with others
Show their proposed solutions
to people and get feedback
How long does it take to complete the BUILD Design Challenge?
It takes about 10 hours to complete the BDC curriculum. For the Greater Boston Youth Pitch Competition, it can be completed over a period of 2 to 6 weeks.
Who can participate in the competition?
Youth from any school or CBO in the Greater Boston region can participate in the Design Challenge! Teams are 2-6 students in size and there is no limit to how many teams can participate from a given school or CBO. There are 3 divisions for this competition - 1st Division (11th & 12th Grade), 2nd Division (9th & 10th Grade), and 3rd Division (7th & 8th Grade).
Who delivers the BDC curriculum?
Any educator or program staff that already works with the students at the school or CBO. This adult must complete a 90-minute training with BUILD staff to access the curriculum.
What does student participation look like?
Each lesson involves students completing activities related to the 5-Step design thinking process: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test. After completing all five steps, student teams submit a 2-3 minute video pitch for their business idea. Each video will be assessed by judges using a scoring rubric. The top teams will be selected to pitch at an in-person event with a live panel of judges for a chance to win cash prizes!
When does the youth pitch competition begin and end?
The Greater Boston Youth Pitch Competition kicks off on Monday, January 9th and the final pitch competition event will be held on Thursday, March 23rd.
Interested but not sure you can attend the info session? Enter your email at the top of this page!
What is the cost?
There is no fee to participate in this competition! Funding is provided by BUILD’s generous philanthropic supporters.
What is DonorsChoose?
DonorsChoose is a national nonprofit that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom projects.The first 30 educators who sign up, get trained, and complete the challenge with students will earn a $500 gift card!
want to talk with us?
Thinking of participating and have questions or would like to learn more information from a BUILD staff member?
Each business team should submit a 2-4 minute video of their business pitch.
On the video submission form, students should submit a video and the accompanying slide deck
1. Introduction – Greet the audience and introduce yourselves
2. Empathize: Meet our client – Introduce your client and describe their characteristics
3. Define: Point of View (POV) statement – State your POV problem statement (what problem or need you are trying to address with your idea)
4. Ideate: Our idea – State your team’s product/service/campaign idea that aims to help your client
5. Prototype - Your prototype is an example of your product/service/campaign. It can be a skit, storyboard, or physical model. Show a picture of your idea prototype, act it out, or show it for the camera! Explain how your product/service works, or explain how you will launch and run your campaign
1. iPhone, iPad, Zoom and Loom are all choices of recording tools for their video presentation
2. Record with both students and their presentation in view
3. Record horizontally for the best view of the students and their presentation
4. Follow Presentation Diagram to the Right
PRESENTATION TIPS.
- Make eye contact with the camera
- Notecards may be used as cue cards
•Pro Tip: Notecards should avoid having a full script
- Even when you are not speaking, don’t forget the camera is still recording!
•Be aware of your body language while you and your business partners are speaking
- Everyone has an opportunity to speak
- Professional dress is encouraged
- Practice makes perfect
•Practice how you will transition from each speaker
•Project your voice when you speak
Follow positioning format Above
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