Spring 2022 PITCH CHALLENGE
spring 2022 WYOMING YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR PITCH CHALLENGE
June 2, 2022 – The Wyoming Enrichment Network is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Spring Pitch Challenge.
The entries again reflected young people’s courage, adaptability, persistence, optimism, and empathy. The Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge provides an opportunity for youth to practice these skills while envisioning ways to make their communities, and the state of Wyoming, a better place.
Three volunteer judges (Leadership Wyoming Executive Director Mandy Fabel, Retired Fremont County School District One Assistant Superintendent Kirk Schmidt, and Wind River Start Up Challenge winner Leslie Spoonhunter) reviewed 46 entries. The pitches were then ranked in seven categories: hook/introduction, presentation quality, presentation media quality, uniqueness, proposed goals for solution, target market and presentation impact. Four entries were recognized for excellence in these categories.
Spring 2022 Pitch Challenge Winners
- Isabelle Camino – Manure Mobile, Buffalo High School
- Caydence Engling –Freelance Graphics, Buffalo High School
- Aisley Ivie – Aise + Vinyl Records, Star Valley High School
- Mia Hutchinson & Dylan Johnson – Sink or Swim, Star Valley High School
Entries can be viewed on our youtube.com playlist.
The Spring 2022 Pitch Challenge winners are now eligible to compete in the National Pitch Challenge sponsored by the Young Entrepreneur Institute. YEI states that their challenge “teaches essential workforce readiness skills and helps kids develop a mindset for 21st century careers whether or not they become an entrepreneur.” Learn more at youngentrepreneurinstitute.org.
“Pitch challenges are excellent tools for helping young people to practice skills that grow confidence, hone problem solving and expression,” said WYEN Director Michelle Sullivan. “The Alliance applauds the educators who help young people develop these skills that build the key entrepreneurial mindsets such as curiosity, courage, persistence and grit, problem solving, embracing failure, resourcefulness, empathy and adaptability.”
WYEN sends a special thank you to Career Technical Education teachers Karlie Philpott from Star Valley High School and Kami Kennedy from Buffalo High School for encouraging students to participate in the challenge.
To support the Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Initiative, WYEN offers support to the adults who work with the young entrepreneurs. A set of six modules with activities and interactive videos walks through the steps of identifying a problem and understanding customers all the way to making a pitch. Other supports include one-on-one coaching sessions. A complementary WYEN initiative introduces young people to ways they can set financial goals and imagine possible futures through the attainment of a certificate or a degree. The Alliance with launce a pilot program in collaboration with the Wind River Development Fund and other partner organizations later this year.
The Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Initiative is a result of a community of partners including Impact307, Wyoming 4-H, the University of Wyoming, afterschool organizations statewide, and many volunteers.
WHY ARE PITCH CHALLENGES SO GREAT?
WYEN invites your afterschool program, class, or club to participate in pitch challenges to think of a product, business or social solution that could make a difference to your community or to Wyoming. Learn more in the following video.
OUR SPONSORS
Mission: We bridge the gap between Wyoming’s out-of-school programs and the communities they uplift, fueling them with resources, support and opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, growth and connection.
Family of Funds
Cultivating Community and Growing Leaders
Today we join the National Summer Learning Association to celebrate the power of Community & Leadership. Learning happens everywhere and young people thrive when they feel a sense of belonging and purpose. That’s why the Wyoming Enrichment Network supports programs and partnerships that build strong relationships and create meaningful leadership opportunities across the state. When we invest in the people and places that help youth grow, we help build a brighter future for all of Wyoming.
Why is Community & Leadership Important?
Research from the Afterschool Alliance shows that when youth are given authentic opportunities to lead, they gain confidence, build communication skills, and deepen their sense of purpose. Near-peer mentorship is especially powerful. As STEM Next says, “STEM confidence is contagious." When youth see someone just a step ahead, they’re more likely to take that step themselves.
Leadership in Action Across Wyoming
Wyoming 4-H helps youth explore leadership and civic engagement in fun, hands-on ways. At this year’s Showcase Showdown in Laramie, young people from across the state took part in contests, workshops, and tours—including a stick horse engineering challenge that brought together creativity, teamwork, and lots of laughs. Explore Wyoming 4-H Leadership & Civic Engagement>>
COWGIRLS in STEM inspires youth to engage with STEM across Wyoming. At their Cheyenne camp this summer, young people worked in teams to imagine AI-powered robots that could help them in their daily lives—an activity that sparked both innovation and connection. Learn more about COWGIRLS in STEM>>
Learning Through Mentorship
At WYEN, we’re proud to support programs like the Summer STEM Fellowship and our High School Fellowship pilot with the Big Horn Basin Boost Program. These efforts empower students—from high schoolers to college undergrads—to design and lead hands-on learning experiences for younger youth in their communities.
Nicole Porter, a graduate student in counseling at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, continues to apply what she learned as a Summer STEM Fellow and mentor. One key takeaway? The value of “volleyball conversations” that keep ideas moving and invite many voices. “It’s something I still use today,” she says.
Spotlight: Download the ACRES STEM Facilitation and Learning Models. This simple three-page guide offers excellent ways to think about leading discussions in STEM. But it’s great for any subject! Click here.
When Nicole asked current Fellows what they love most about working with kids, the answers were heartfelt: Ashley and Jada spoke about relationship-building. Aidyn shared the joy of being outdoors and helping kids be themselves. Mia enjoys teaching STEM. Allison loves gardening with young people. Lauren appreciates seeing kids from the YES House unwind and connect. And Maisie? “They think out loud. No filter. It’s real.”
Nicole Porter, a 2023 Summer STEM Fellow Alum: “I get as much out of this work as the kids do. I learn so much about myself through working with young people—and that’s a beautiful thing.”
The Big Horn Basin Boost Program is helping high school students become role models. Through a WYEN pilot project, high schoolers designed and led weeklong mini-camps for middle schoolers. They choose topics based on their own interests and career goals. One of the participants was John, a sophomore with interests in theater, the military, and video games. He wanted to focus his mini-camp on ways that gaming can foster friendship and teamwork. WYEN connected him with a professional game designer and together they discussed career pathways and strategies to engage middle schoolers through gaming.
Try This! Activities for Programs and Families
Learn more about Youth Voice! The Afterschool Alliance Youth Voice Toolkit can help you explore the spectrum of youth voice work and tools and examples from partners at each level of youth involvement and best practices. Mizzen’s Ten Tips for Amplifying Youth Voice can help lead to more engaging and effective programs.
SPOTLIGHT: Get To Know You and Establish Group Norms is a 30-minute downloadable activity from the Search Institute designed to build trust between group members by exploring what members have in common and what makes them unique. This activity was popular with the Summer STEM Fellows! Click here.
Dig into the Leadership and Civic Engagement modules from Wyoming 4-H. The invite young people to "get started with a foundation in leadership that you can build upon over a lifetime!"
Learning to Give’s series “Open Doors to Your Community,” helps young people learn about the purpose of public safety while meeting people involved in their community. They have tips for visiting a fire station, a police station, and more! Each guide is a virtual door that leads young people to an actual door with ideas for engagement.
Build a fort with WY Quality Counts and help young people learn practice collaboration. The instructions note that reflection can help develop those skills: “Talk to them about how they feel working with another person. Did it make them happy? Did they have fun?" The instructions are for younger kids, but the lesson could easily be adapted.
Keep Learning!
Want to see more? Visit wyoenrichmentnetwork.org/summer-sparks to explore other stories. Share your own summer learning experiences using #SummerLearningWeek and #ThriveBeyondTheBell.
Igniting Curiosity, Connection, and Growth All Summer Long
The Wyoming Enrichment Network is celebrating National Summer Learning Week (July 14–18, 2025) by spotlighting the amazing ways communities across the state are helping young people stay curious, connected, and growing all summer long.
