My Student Entrepreneurs Need You for Their Pitch Competition!

Funded Apr 21, 2023

Over the past two years, I have implemented a successful instructional sequence and lesson plan in Dual Enrollment (DE) Entrepreneurship to boost and advance student learning. This sequence includes two back-to-back lessons: 1) the Titan Small Business Expo and 2) the Titan Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition. The Titan Small Business Expo is a featuring of products and services from student-owned businesses, and the pitch competition emphasizes public speaking and marketing skills. Teaching entrepreneurship involves various aspects. There are numerous elements to educating a student on becoming a business owner and maintaining a business. I wanted my lessons to offer more than just having students review online businesses or read case studies; it needed to provide a life-altering experience. The lesson goals and student actions included grasping the business model validation process, assessing their business models through experimentation, and captivating the audience with impressive public speaking abilities. Each assigned objective was aligned to my year-long competency goals given by the Virginia Department of Education. The lesson's effectiveness was evaluated by incorporating digital scorecards that students could access during practices, analyzing data from judges after competitions, facilitating student-led online discussion boards for post-event reviews, and receiving sponsorship and support from the ACHS community during the events.

Both the expo and pitch competition was project based where students created their own silos of learning by creating and launching their very own start-ups. All instructional activities were tailored to introduce students to the key elements of writing a business plan and developing an effective entrepreneurial pitch. All lessons were performance based where students explored creating problem statements, identifying their target market, finding solutions, analyzing their competitive advantages, understanding a business model, and many other go-to-market strategies and financial projections. Students worked in teams to develop their own startup ideas and craft initial pitches. Providing students with examples of strong and weak pitches was crucial to build their pitch development skills and allow me the ability to assess their learning. Students also had the opportunity to deliver their preliminary pitches to the class and incorporate peer feedback to refine them. This iterative process of pitching, getting feedback, and refining allowed students to significantly improve their pitches and at the same time make learning more impactful. Their continuous practices enabled them to perfect their pitches for the competitive event and feel confident in front of a panel of judges assembled from the local business community. Five finalists were announced and awarded cash prizes pulled together by the school and program sponsors. This impact of learning was significant as students could progress through learning stages, develop a pitch, and receive recognition and funding for their efforts.”

With gratitude,

Ms. C. Lewis