Redmond students take part in entrepreneur competition
Middle school and high school students from across Redmond School District recently participated in a competition sponsored by the Redmond Education Foundation called Teen Tank.
Billed as an event featuring student innovation and ideas, the competition consisted of teams from Obsidian Middle School, Tumalo Community School, Redmond High School and Ridgeview High School.
Inspired by the hit television show, Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their company or product ideas to a panel of successful industry judges, Teen Tank competitors similarly pitched their social, business and community-focused projects to a panel of local judges.
Teams were given five minutes to pitch and six to respond to any questions from the panel of judges. Winners were selected based on a scoring rubric.
Obsidian Middle School produced this year’s winning team, garnering them a check for $2,500 to be directed toward their proposed project, “Growing Hope,” a community garden to be located off of 15th Street near Obsidian Middle School.
Members of the community will have the opportunity rent out spaces in the available six rental beds to grow their own produce.
Teen Tank judges included Anna Higgins with High Desert Education Service District, Anne Graham with Redmond City Council, Mike Hesse with Redmond Rotary and Angela Boothroyd-Straughan of Windermere Real Estate.
The 2017 OMS winning team consists of: Skyler Abbas, Austin Alwinger, Kellyn Anderson, Kylie Angerhofer, Brittney Bartlett, Riley Briggs, Elise Brown, Logan Dietz, Diana Dominguez, Jamie Drake, Liam Dyck, America Felix, Christa Gilliam, Dylan Gosheff, Josi Mack, Colin McElroy, Shei McLaughlin, Marques Montanez, Kiani Nakamura, Joshua Papen, Cailyn Scott, Cameron Strube, Sarah Tebbs, Gisel Ureno, Chloe Waring and Hannah Worley-Rachal.
Funds for the competition were generously donated by community partners Bluefish Dental and Orthodontics, Hayden Homes, McConnell Labs and Rotary Club of Redmond.
For more information about the community garden, please contact Obsidian Middle School at 541-923-4900 .
