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Two groups of local high schools students came to ������ to participate in an entrepreneurial workshop hosted by LaunchNET Kent State. The workshop was designed to increase the students’ awareness and knowledge of the venture formation process.

Sixteen sophomore- and junior-level students from Junior Leadership Hudson (Western Reserve Academy and Hudson High School) and 16 junior- and senior-level students from Chagrin Falls High School visited the Kent Campus to participate in the workshop.

Lynn Buchinsky, a LaunchNET venture advisor, facilitated multiple hands-on activities for the students, igniting their innovative mindset with challenges, idea generation, brainstorming techniques and opportunities to pitch their ideas. The students learned about entrepreneurship via a Jeopardy-style game, talking with Sam Graska, a Kent State MBA candidate and entrepreneur, and working with a number of idea-generation tools. Student teams collaborated to find solutions for a problem in their schools, which they then presented for prizes.

“It was so great to inspire the students and their teachers, giving them an opportunity to explore innovative solutions to everyday problems,” Ms. Buchinsky says.  

Although LaunchNET primarily focuses on Kent State students, staff, faculty and alumni, the program also does outreach such as this with interested high school groups in order to strengthen and smooth the entrepreneurship pathway from high school to college.

“We have found that our experience working with college students can be translated well for high school students, and we are glad to be a part of the Kent State community outreach efforts,” says Julie Messing, executive director for LaunchNET Kent State. “Demonstrating the innovation and entrepreneurial focus of the campus is an important part of what LaunchNET is about, and we’re happy to be able to share that with a wide audience.”