In the News

Student teams will pitch their business ideas and product demonstrations to a panel of judges at the Student Business Incubator Showcase at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Triggs Student Center at SMU in Dallas.

The students have spent the year developing innovative business ideas in a “Shark Tank”-style course and will now present their solutions to the public for feedback.

PLAINFIELD, Ill. - Plainfield is fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs, with 80 high school students already on the path to success.

With stage lights beaming down, a group of five teens wearing matching green T-shirts and wide-leg denim jeans stood shoulder to shoulder. Facing them was a panel of judges ready to ask tough questions about the students’ business proposal for an innovative portable barbecue smoker, including everything from its design to a marketing plan.

A Brentwood High School alum is one of five finalists in the INCubatoredu National Pitch Contest.

It’s crazy to think that the five of us barely knew each other at this time last year. Our journey with Notifeye, our innovative road safety product we created as part of our high school’s entrepreneurship program, has been incredible. Today, we want to share our story, from the early days of brainstorming to the excitement of winning a national pitch competition.

Picture the ABC network show “Shark Tank,” and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s being developed by Career Connections Coordinator Dacia Kelly in the Clear Creek district.

The premise behind INCubatoredu classes is putting students into real-life business scenarios, and one way to accomplish that is by having real-world business leaders in front of the classroom.

...Perhaps most importantly, the new Innovation Hub will provide significant opportunities for local industry and community members to engage meaningfully with students both as mentors and partners. These authentic relationships between students and industry won’t be peripheral to the student’s experience in the Innovation Hub, they’ll be central to its design, which expands on the success of the district’s partnerships with the business community. We already have entrepreneurship education programs that are central to our career and technical education programs and its Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center. These, in many ways, are the predecessor to the Innovation Hub.  Read more in SmartBrief.

One of Mundelein High School's Incubatoredu program startups, "Safe Sip," recently moved on as a finalist in the INCubatoredu National competition. Safe Sip, a drink-spiking detection product, is one of the top five Incubator startups in the country competing for this national honor. The Safe Sip startup was created by five senior girls at Mundelein High School. 

Rounding out its fifth year at Vandegrift, the Entrepreneurship/INCubatoredu program has grown to become one of the most popular course requests among students. Taught by teachers Erin Mathis and Erin Lucas, the course allows students to spearhead the creation of their own unique businesses, whilst incorporating vital knowledge of business management and marketing research.