In the fall of 2021, WYEN invited young people to think of a product, business or social solution that could make a difference to their community or to Wyoming. More than 40 students, participating individually or in small teams, answered the call. WYEN is proud to announce the contest winners.  

Fall 2021 Pitch Challenge Winners 

• 1st Place: Caydence Engling from Buffalo High School, Full of Purpose Planner – Handmade paper planners and stationery. 
• 2nd Place: Jeremiah Hawley from Buffalo High School, Levitate U – A website to help people learn computer science and cybersecurity.  
• 3rd Place (Tie): Grant Keeler from Buffalo High School, Hearty Hooks – A fishing hook with deployable barb. 
• 3rd Place (Tie): Isabelle Haas from Buffalo High School, Buffalo Wild Rings – Rings made out of recycled spoons. 
• Spirit of Wyoming Award (This award is for a young person who is interested in community improvement through a social solution.): Isaiah Prince and Deverey Ivie from Star Valley High School, Helper Hutt – A volunteer hub and helping hand for those that need it. 

“The young people who entered the contest each displayed creativity and persistence,” said Michelle Sullivan, WYEN’s Director.  “As we know, young people in Wyoming are looking toward the future. An important part of the entrepreneurial process is imagining solutions to problems they face every day.” 

Volunteer judges from across the state included past Pitch Challenge winner Molly Doss, Alexis Drake owner Lexie Garret, MakerSpace 307 director David Maulik, and Goose’s Kitchen owner and Wind River Start Up Challenge winner Leslie Spoonhunter. They ranked each entry on three categories: creativity, persuasiveness, and overall presentation. Thanks go to Impact307 for making the StartUp Tree platform available for this contest.  

Judge David Maulik commented, “Judging the WYEN youth pitch challenge has given me an opportunity to peer behind the curtain at the ideas of the next generation entrepreneurs and problem-solvers in Wyoming. I am confident that if we give these students the assistance, support, and encouragement moving forward we have a good chance to help them solve the problems our state is currently facing and be ready to tackle any more that come our way.” 

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 roundtable discussions and one-on-one coaching calls.  

Michelle said, “We know that not all adults feel like they have experience as entrepreneurs. We have found that the entrepreneurial process has the potential to develop curiosity, problem solving, and empathy – all skills that help young people to be successful. These are just some of the skills that afterschool and out-of-school time settings are uniquely positioned to support.”  

Learn about the Spring 2022 Challenge!

The Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Initiative is a result of a growing community of partners including Wyoming 4-H, the University of Wyoming, Impact307, afterschool organizations statewide, and many volunteers. 

This initiative is made possible by a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The grant is intended to promote innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset for youth in Wyoming.

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.

WYOMING ENRICHMENT NETWORK

1472 N. 5th Street, Suite 201
Laramie, WY 82072
Phone: 307-721-8300

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.