Imagine designing a turbine that can be installed in the waste water pipes in a house that can generate electricity that could be used for low-voltage lighting or to power your laptop.
Or, imagine creating your own line of locally made cosmetic products that could launch you into the world of high fashion and design. Now imagine doing that before you even graduate high school.
June 6, eight youths from the West Kootenay-Boundary area will be sequestered in the Green Room at the Charles Bailey Theatre waiting to be called upon one at a time to take to the stage and make their pitch to the judges and audience to compete for $10,000 in cash prizes for the first West Kootenay-Boundary Junior Dragons’ Den competition.
“The kids had to submit a business concept with a video of themselves pitching the idea,” said John Reed, entrepreneurial services coordinator for Community Futures of Greater Trail.
“They were shortlisted from a group of 20 applicants based on their submissions down to one contestant in the junior category, grades 8 to 10, and seven in the senior group, grades 10 to 12.”
The night of the competition the youths will be called upon to pitch their idea, which will be graded 60 per cent by the judges and their business plan, 20 per cent on the video they submitted, and 20 per cent by the audience, who will be given hand held voting devices for the event.
Needless to say, support from family and friends on the night of the competition could be crucial.
“This is a big commitment on the part of the kids,” said Reed. “Since sending in their business plans and videos they’ve been working with local mentors on their presentations and with cash on the line it’s a serious deal.”
The contestants have the opportunity to win $2,500 for first place in each category, with $1,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third.
The vision is to hopefully launch a basin-wide competition in the future.”
The Junior Dragon’s Den competition is free to the public starting at 7 p.m. June 6, at the Charles Bailey Theatre.
More information on the competitors and the event go to www.juniordragonsden.ca.
