BUILDFest SWPA
April 20th, 2023
2023 Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition. Brought to you by BUILD.org.
Calling all educators serving middle school and high school youth in the Southwestern PA area for an entrepreneurial competition.
Compete for prizes and win the
Youth Entrepreneurship Competition title!
Show your Pittsburgh Pride!
Compete for prizes and win the
Youth Entrepreneurship Competition title!
Show your Pittsburgh Pride!
Engage Your Youth In Interactive Project-Based Learning
Receive Free Training & 10 Hour Project-Based Curriculum
Help Your Youth Become The CEO Of Their Own Lives
BUILD.org is excited to announce our 2023 Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition! Youth business teams from schools and community based organizations across Greater Pittsburgh will compete in BUILD’s Design Challenge to create a product, service, or campaign to support a thriving community. This entrepreneurship competition highlights BUILD's mission to arm youth with real world experiences and skills. Each youth team will create a pitch, alongside an educator sponsor, and submit a video to enter the competition. On April 20th, the top 4 youth pitches will compete LIVE in front of a panel of judges at BUILDFest for nearly $10,000 in prizes for youth and educators!
Engage Your Youth In Interactive Project-Based Learning
Receive Free Training & 10 Hour Project-Based Curriculum
Help Your Youth Become The CEO Of Their Own Lives
BUILD.org is excited to announce our 2023 Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition! Youth business teams from schools and community based organizations across Greater Pittsburgh will compete in BUILD’s Design Challenge to create a product, service, or campaign to support a thriving community. This entrepreneurship competition highlights BUILD's mission to arm youth with real world experiences and skills. Each youth team will create a pitch, alongside an educator sponsor, and submit a video to enter the competition. On April 20th, the top 4 youth pitches will compete LIVE in front of a panel of judges at BUILDFest for nearly $10,000 in prizes for youth and educators!
2023 SWPA Finalists
Please congratulate the top four teams who have made to the finals, and will compete at BUILDFest for the winning title!
Imagination & Beyond
McKeesport Area Senior High School
Notable Apparel
Northgate Senior High School
Primmal Commissions
Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship
Positive Teens
Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy
Youth Entrepreneurship Competition Timeline & Details
January - March
Complete 10 Hour Design Challenge
March 20th
Video Pitch Submission Deadline
March 29th & 30th
Top 10 Teams Compete with Live Virtual Pitches
March 31st
Top 4 Finalist Teams Selected
April 20th
Finalist Teams Pitch to Panel of Live Judges
Teams of 2-6 will complete the BUILD Design Challenge by:
Empathize and identify a problem in their school or community
Develop a Business Idea to help solve a problem
Practice their pitches and create a 2-3 minute video pitch submission
Top teams will pitch their idea live to a panel of judges in the final round to win cash prizes
Educator Benefits & Prizes
$500 in DonorsChoose Gift Cards for the first 30 Educators to complete the Challenge
$500 in DonorsChoose Gift Cards for the first 30 Educators to complete the Challenge
Free 60 Minute - Professional Development Training on Design Thinking
Free 90 Minute Professional Development Training on Design Thinking
Free 10+ hours of Curriculum on Human Centered Design
Free 10+ hours of Curriculum on Human Centered Design
Interactive & digitized learning platform
Interactive & digitized learning platform
Competition Awards
Selection of BUILD Swag for Top 4 Teams & Educators
Cash Prizes for Top 4 Youth Teams
1st place=$1,500
2nd place=$1,000
3rd place=$750
4th place=$750
Stipends for Top 4 Educator Sponsors
1st place=$1,000
2nd place=$750
3rd place=$500
4th place=$500
Organization Pride and the Winning title of Southwestern PA's Youth Pitch Competition Champion
Build Swag for Top 4 Teams & Educators
Cash Prizes for Top 4 Youth Teams
1st place=$1,500
2nd place=$1,000
3rd place=$750
4th place=$750
Stipends for Educator Sponsors
1st place=$1,000
2nd place=$750
3rd place=$500
4th place=$500
Organization pride and the Winning title of Southwestern PA's Citywide Youth Pitch Competition Champion
RUBRIC
JUDGING CRITERIA
All criteria are judged on a scale of 1 (room to improve) to 4 (exceeding expectations).
IDEA
- - The idea directly addresses the problem in the team's POV statement.
- - The youth's idea is innovative and offers a unique premise.
- - There is a need for this idea in the real world.
PROTOTYPE
- - The team has a clear example of their idea and an explanation of how their product, service, or campaign works by using a prototype (storyboard).
- - The team offered a clear explanation of how their idea might work through a demonstration, video, or a corresponding method.
PRESENTATION
- - The presentation had a clear introduction and closing. It follows the presentation guidelines and tips.
- - Visuals were displayed to show the team's notes/and or prototype. Images and text formatting is clear, neat, and effort is evident.
- - All team members participated in the presentation.
Clear voice projection was used.
FAQ
What class can the Design Challenge be implemented in?
The Design Challenge can be implemented in all settings with teens. Educators across the country have delivered the Design Challenge in academic courses, CTE classes, enrichment programs, and at Community-Based Organizations and nonprofits (Ex. Boys & Girls Club). The challenge takes about 10 hours to implement. It can be incorporated as a project-based learning unit to help youths learn empathy and practice designing solutions for communities.
What are the due dates for the challenge?
All competition video submissions are due by end of the day of March 20th.
Where should I submit my teen’s video?
Competition video submissions should be submitted at this link. The submission form asks for the following:
- Name and emails of the youths that make up the business team
- The name of the business
- The school or organization the youths represent
- The educator’s name and contact information
- A shareable link to the video
- A shareable link to an accompanying powerpoint or slide deck
- Confirmation of completed Educator and Youth Reflection Forms
How long does it take to progress through the Challenge?
It takes about 10 hours to progress through all 5 stages of the design challenge and to prepare the pitch.
When will the final teams compete?
The final 4 teams will meet during the school day on Thursday, April 20th, between 9am-2pm to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges.
What happens after we submit our video pitch?
You will be informed on Friday, March 17th if your team will advance to the next round! If yes, teams should be prepared to deliver their pitch live on Zoom to a panel of judges on either Tuesday, March 29th, or Wednesday, March 30th. The top 4 teams from this round will move on to the finals on April 20th, 2023.
What is the difference between my pre-recorded pitch and in-person presentation?
The video pitch should be 2-3 minutes long. Your in-person presentation may last between 2-5 minutes in order to give teams more time to thoroughly explain the details of their business pitch with the judges.
Thank You To Our Partners
Thank You To Our Partners
Watch last year's competition!
Watch last year's competition!
