TECH CENTER STUDENTS TAKE FIRST PLACE IN REGIONAL BUSINESS COMPETITION
Holland, MI - Students from the Entrepreneurship and Global Business program at Careerline Tech Center (CTC) placed first in the Leadership Innovation Challenge at the Virtual Enterprises Southern Region Conference held at Middle Tennessee State University, on November 20 and 21. Students from Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida competed at the conference.
The forty CTC Entrepreneurship and Global Business program students who attended the competition are also members of Virtual Enterprise International (VEI), an organization that empowers students to create and run their own businesses within a simulated virtual economy. VEI includes over 7,000 student-run companies worldwide, providing participants with a global platform to develop entrepreneurial skills.
For this challenge competitors were provided a driving question and then presented their solution on stage before an audience of 250 peers, judges from local businesses and teachers.
“In class we use a project-based learning (PBL) framework to guide our projects where students begin with a driving question then explore, brainstorm, and work toward developing a solution,” Amanda Schuster, Entrepreneurship and Global Business Instructor for CTC, said. “This approach proved invaluable when they applied it to win the Leadership Innovation Challenge.”
Participating in these competitive conferences equips students with essential skills that set them up for success after graduation. By engaging in project-based learning and real-world problem-solving, students develop critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication skills. Presenting solutions to a diverse audience builds confidence and the ability to articulate ideas effectively. These competencies are highly valued in the workplace and will help students excel in college, careers and any field where innovation and teamwork are key.
The winning Leadership Innovation Challenge team included :
- Miguel Dzib-Santos Jr., West Ottawa High School, 11th grade
- Jacob Dykema, Zeeland High School, 12th grade
- Skylar Hundley, Zeeland High School, 12th grade
- Sam Raak, Unity Christian High School, 11th grade
- Sarah Kelley, Hamilton High School, 11th grade
- Emme Everts, Allendale High School, 11th grade
- Natalie Barkel, Zeeland High School, 12th grade
- Ella Jones, Hamilton High School, 11th grade
The team will compete again at the Midwest Winter Conference and Exhibition in February at Northern Illinois University in Naperville, Illinois.
CTC students also earned the Best Booth award in a subsequent trade show competition at the event.
Careerline Tech Center
Operated by Ottawa Area ISD, Careerline Tech Center prepares high school juniors and seniors for tomorrow's workforce by providing career and technical education in 30 career areas. CTC serves students from public and private high schools, as well as those who are homeschooled, within the following local school districts: Allendale, Coopersville, Grand Haven, Hamilton, Holland, Hudsonville, Jenison, Saugatuck, Spring Lake, West Ottawa, and Zeeland. www.CareerlineTech.org
Ottawa Area Intermediate School District
Ottawa Area ISD works collaboratively with schools and communities to meet the educational needs of students of all ages in the Ottawa area. By pooling resources and providing services regionally, Ottawa Area ISD provides important programs and services to local K‐12 school districts, charter, parochial and private schools and adults in the most cost‐effective ways possible. To learn more about Ottawa Area ISD visit www.oaisd.org