High School/Career Technical Center Students from around the State celebrated Entrepreneurship Day – February 5, 2019

^{“Vermont Entrepreneurs….. Creating Solutions”}

Hosted by: the Vermont Small Business Development Center, VT Career & Technical Center Student Organizations, VT SBA and the Vermont Business Education Corps.

Over 225 secondary students and their teachers from around the state participated in the 10^th annual Entrepreneurship Day/Event February 5, 2019 in Montpelier to celebrate the importance of Vermont Entrepreneurs and small businesses in helping to create a vibrant Vermont economy.  Governor Phil Scott addressed the packed crowd in the Capital Plaza Hotel’s ballroom and signed a Proclamation designating February 4^th – 8^th 2019 Entrepreneurship Week. 

The day’s event also featured two Vermont entrepreneur speakers passionate about their business ventures. Marina McCoy, owner/founder of Waste-Free Earth – https://www.wastefree.earth/ and Bobbie Roehm, owner of a clothing boutique ROAM in Montpelier – https://roamvt.com/  As they wove their personal journeys about how they entered the business world they encouraged students to always be learning something new, be curious  and ask questions, stretch their comfort zones, use their creativity and imaginations and continue to always take advantage of opportunities such as this day’s event.  Students, in pairs, participated in a fun, interactive hands-on activity where they created new spoon products using a basic spoon and Play-Doh and then several pairs pitched their new “prototypes” to the audience.  This year’s event also featured short presentations from two student run school ventures – one from the Culinary Arts Program at Burlington Technical Center with their rich delicious tasting “Vermont Mudd Brownies”, now being sold in local food markets and the other from Lamoille Union High School’s Business Program with their T-Shirt Business “Royal Tees” selling in their local marketplace and on line.  

The day wrapped up with the announcement and showcase of the winners of the annual high school/technical center visual media competition themed “Vermont Entrepreneurs….Creating Solutions” (mini- videos and bumper stickers).  The names of students (and their schools) receiving awards with cash prizes are listed below along with a link to the winning video, a video of the day and a few photos.

VtSBDC State Director, Linda Rossi, says “By offering student entrepreneurial initiatives such as this, we see the growing creation of a pipeline of future entrepreneurs and/or workforce leaders, and the continuance of seamless statewide educational and business assistance networks from middle school through secondary and post-secondary education”. 

Earlier in the morning students representing Career and Technical Center Student Organizations from FBLA, FFA, DECA and Skills USA shared information about their programs and provided a light breakfast for legislators in the Statehouse cafeteria.

The yearly Celebration is hosted and sponsored by: the Vermont Small Business Development Center, Vermont Career & Technical Center Student Organizations, VT District Office SBA, VT Business Education Corp. as well as supported by many organizations.  Laurel Butler, VtSBDC Business Advisor |Student Entrepreneur Specialist, noted “this is one of many entrepreneurial events/programs for students (and for teachers) we’ve created to foster students’ entrepreneurial mindset so they’re able to see problems as opportunities to create social and economic value and act on them now or in the future…. tomorrow’s workforce, leaders and entrepreneurs are in our Vermont schools today… let’s capture their interest now!”

For more information about this past event and other upcoming entrepreneurial events for students and teachers contact: Laurel Butler (802) 922-3692 – lbutler@vtsbdc.org or go to: https://www.vtsbdc.org/specialty-services/youth-entrepreneurship/

Link to winning Video Entry by student Logan Kenyon from Stafford Technical Center – really worth watching – CTE/entrepreneurship/workforce development!     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAIbOQ1IMZY&t=3s

2019 Entrepreneurship Visual Media Competition Winning Entries

Theme “Vermont Entrepreneurs… Creating Solutions”