Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge will be hosted in El Dorado on Wednesday, February 26 after being postponed due to inclement weather, freezing temperatures and schools cancelling.
In partnership with NetWork Kansas, the K-State Extension Butler County office and personnel are hosting the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge at the Civic Center in El Dorado. The challenge brings students in grades 6-12 to showcase and present their entrepreneurial business ideas to the public while competing for prize money. This year, six participants from Circle Public Schools USD 375 will be competing for that prize money, which is funded by the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce.
“Investing in our youth with competitions like this helps the brightest and most engaged of our youth and hopeful entrepreneurs have an avenue to hone their skills of writing a business plan as well as presenting it to the judges and public,” said Greg Mudd, Executive Director of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce. “It gives them a great foundation to draw from for greater ventures in the future. We hope to foster a growth and spirit within our community in order to keep our best and brightest close to home while giving them an avenue of initial preparation and success.”
The students who are recognized as first, second and third places will receive scholarships. In addition, first place will be given the opportunity to compete in the state-wide competition for even more cash.
During public visitation from 10-11:30am on Wednesday, competing students will stand at their own vendor booth inside the Civic Center with a cardboard presentation and speech prepared for judges and public visitors. During their presentation, students will speak on their business vision, mission statement, what their business will do and some basic cost breakdown.
The competition will be judged by local K-State Extension Butler County agents Charlene Miller, Director and Agriculture Agent, Bonnie Brewer, Family and Consumer Science and Calla Edwards, Horticulture Agent.
Last year’s place winners included third place, awarded $100, Tristan Lucas of Circle High School, who owns Lucas Window Cleaning. Placing second and winning $250 was Peyton Davies from Andover High School who owns Kings Kicks. Winning first place and $500, Blake Logan from Circle High School, who owns Logan’s Lawncare. Blake reigned as the two-time back-to-back champion of the competition.
In 2023 Blake took his winnings and reinvested into his lawncare business. Last year he said he planned to make the same investment with the prize money again so that he can continue to service customers once he graduates.
The event will run from 9am-12pm at the Civic Center in El Dorado located at 201 E Central Ave with winners announced around 12pm. The public is welcome to browse the young entrepreneurial ventures and listen to presentations from 10-11:30am.
