HAZLETON, Pa. – High school students can discover how to develop a business idea while earning the opportunity to win a $1,000 prize through the Hazleton LaunchBox supported by Pasco L. Schiavo, Esq.’s Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge starting Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, the seven-week virtual program is designed to teach students key strategies for launching a product or startup, how to identify and solve problems, and how to work together as a team.
Classes will be held remotely from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. The final class will be held on Nov. 23.
The challenge officially concludes on Nov. 30 with a pitch competition where students will present their ideas before a panel of judges. The top prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the student or team that finishes in first place. The student or team that finishes second will earn a $500 prize.
Students and their families and friends are invited to attend the pitch competition which will be held in person at the LaunchBox, 13 W. Broad St., Hazleton.
Register by visiting https://hazleton.launchbox.psu.edu/entrepreneurship-challenge. Registration closes Oct. 12. A Zoom link will be provided after registration.
Call 570-450-3135 or email Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator William Andahazy at wma5073@psu.edu or Entrepreneurial Facilitator Fermin Diaz at fjd5153@psu.edu for more information.
About Hazleton LaunchBox:
The Hazleton LaunchBox is a no-cost startup accelerator and co-working space designed to provide early-stage startup companies with the support and resources needed to build a sustainable business and a viable plan for growth.
The LaunchBox is a signature program of the Invent Penn State Initiative, a commonwealth-wide system to spur economic development, job creation, and student career success. The initiative, launched by Penn State President Eric Barron in 2015, redefines the University’s land-grant mission to include entrepreneurship and innovation programs, including the development of “innovation hubs” in Penn State campus communities across the state.
Invent Penn State blends entrepreneurship-focused academic programs, business startup training and incubation, funding for commercialization, and University-community collaborations to facilitate the process of turning ideas into viable products and services.