3rd Annual Central Kansas Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

Stafford County Economic Development is sponsoring nine Stafford County students to participate in the 3rd annual Central Kansas Youth Entrepreneurship Competition (CKYEC) that will be held at the Kinsley Junior/Senior High School Auditorium.  Five of those students are competing as one team, and the other four as individuals.  Edwards County Economic Development is hosting this year’s event with the NetWork Kansas E-Community Partnership.

“This year we opened the competition to junior high students,” said Ashlee Bevan, Program Director for Stafford County Economic Development.  “We had some interest from some of our students that participate in 4-H that piqued our interest in expanding the age group eligible for participation.  We also felt that if a junior high student is ready for a public speaking competition like this, we shouldn’t hold them back from the opportunity to gain the experience.”

Last year, Hodgeman County Economic Development hosted the 2nd annual event at the King Center in Jetmore.  $1,750 in cash prizes were awarded.  One of the top three business plans was from Stafford High School students promoting their business idea of Scan from the Past.

By Monday, February 26th, each student or team must submit an executive summary through the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Portal online.  The competition on Tuesday, March 13th will consist of a four-minute pitch to a panel of judges, followed by questions.  The students will be competing against each other for $1,750 in prize money.  The 1st place winner will receive $1,000 and a guaranteed spot in the State Competition in Manhattan in April.  The 2nd place prize is $500 and 3rd place receives $250.  The students’ work will be judged by local entrepreneurs, public sector partners, teachers, or other adults.  An optional tradeshow competition is available to all participants competing in the day-long event.

This year, students from Edwards, Hodgeman, Ness, Pawnee and Stafford counties are eligible to participate in the event.

The annual YEC series culminates in a statewide championship, where the top students from 31 local competitions will face off against each other for $18,000 in prize money and other honors. The 2018 statewide championship will be held on April 24th in Manhattan at Kansas State University.

For more information visit: http://www.edwardscounty.org/YEC, http://www.networkkansas.com/ecommunities/youth/youth-entrepreneurship-challenge, email Ashlee at [email protected] or call 620-549-3527.