The University of Michigan’s Flint Bureau of Economic Development (OED) recently completed the Young Sharks 2022 Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Program for students in the 3rd to 5th grades. The program combines professional development workshops for primary and secondary teachers, a series of innovation and entrepreneurship courses for students, and applied learning work and business pitch contests.
The program was expanded in 2021 to include 6th to 8th grade junior sharks.
Each class that participated formed a team of 2-4 people in January last year to develop business ideas in one of four categories: inventions, services, performing arts, and visual arts. The team was then guided through business processes such as evaluating ideas, identifying customers, marketing products, managing finances, and launching businesses. The team then created a product presentation and presented the idea to the class. The class then voted for the group’s best idea to represent the class at the program-wide launch contest last May.
“These students are the future, the next generation to take action and take risks, actually make a difference and adapt to the future of work,” said Young Sharks co-creator and director of UM-Flint. One David Melot said. EDA. University Center. ..
Jason Varimont, a 6th to 8th grade teacher at the Perry Innovation Center in Grand Blanc, has just completed his second year of the program and believes that the program will extend student learning beyond standards. “Students actually gained more than marketing, economics and entrepreneurship by participating,” he said. “Many groups participated in the design and engineering process and developed prototypes. It was a learning journey as well as taking courses. Some students took their own to get feedback on their ideas. I contacted an expert in the field. “
A comprehensive curriculum workshop for teachers co-sponsored by Paula Nas, UM-Flint’s professor of economics and director of the Department of Economic Development (OED), and Terry Groves, a former UM-Flint professor and community school professor of Great White. It was developed.
Teachers who choose to adopt the program They receive lesson plans, student worksheets, activities, vision boards, and additional support from the UM-Flint Facilitator. “training [that the facilitators provided] It was helpful, “Balmont said. “The workshop really helped me put together a curriculum plan.
This program helped one of Vallimont’s student groups win the title of the Junior Sharks contest in their Restricted Natural Areas (The RNA) business presentation. The project focused on drone products designed to help organizations such as the Department of Natural Resources and other land managers protect animals from poachers. In addition to product design, students have developed a variety of marketing products to increase brand awareness and created a model that introduces a bunker designed to charge and protect the drone when not in use. ..
The first Young Sharks team came from Brendel Elementary School in Grand Blanc with the idea of a mobile app called Don’t Forget. The app uses a tracker placed on a personal item, like Apple AirTag, to notify the user that the user is about to leave without the item. The top three teams received crystal plaque and prize money.
“My goal is to one day bring this program to all fourth grade classrooms in Michigan,” Nas said, adding that school districts in Auckland, Wayne, and Shiawassee County are showing interest.
Contact Nas (pnas@umflint.edu) for more information on the Young Sharks program.