GSN’s entrepreneurial pathways programming offers educator resources to guide business-minded young people in business start-up, ensuring equitable access to economic prosperity.

Join us at the third annual E-fair this May and bring your student’s business ideas to life!

What is the E-fair?

The Entrepreneurship Fair, or E-fair, is an opportunity for students in grades 6-12 to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas and a chance to earn start-up capital in a formal and fun setting. The E-fair takes place each May in the Wiggins High School gymnasium, located at 201 Tiger Way, Wiggins, CO 80654.

What Students will experience:

Participants gain experience presenting their ideas to judges, taking questions, receiving feedback, collaborating with their peers, and using critical thinking to solve real world problems.

• Round robin style presentations where students pitch their business idea to judges and attendees alike.

• Judge panel selection of finalists move on to a shark tank style second round of competition.

• Top 5 participants in the middle school and high school categories respectively share $3,000 in prize money to help fund their start-up!

• Access to a diverse panel of local entrepreneurs and a keynote speaker to give inspiration on their entrepreneurial journey.

E-fair participation checklist

Step 1: Register your student(s) for the E-fair with this registration form

Step 2: Develop your student business plan(s)

Step 3: Submit student business plan(s) to gangelini@generationschools.org by the deadline of April 15th. This is required to participate in the fair!

Step 4: Students prepare their business idea pitches

Step 5: On May 7, E-Fair participants check in and set up at 7:30am at Wiggins High School gymnasium, 201 Tiger Way, Wiggins, CO 80654. E-Fair runs from 8am to 1pm with lunch provided.

Creating Equitable Pathways with Catalyze

Not all college and career pathways programs are created equal. Most pathways are not built for student groups with historically lower academic success or college enrollment such as rural, special needs, or justice-involved youth. Instead, most pathways organize around a top-down approach of closing gaps in academic ability through transactional relationships and short-term measures focused largely on the top 20-30% of the senior class.

We believe all students should receive equitable preparation for life after high school. That’s why we create college and career pathways that are built on reciprocal relationships, grounded in place-based partnerships and driven by a shared commitment to increase opportunity for marginalized student groups.

Each year, we foster local entrepreneurial talent through our Entrepreneurship Fair in rural Colorado to provide an opportunity for students to build social and financial capital in their own backyard. This approach will strengthen employer/learner connections and establishes a locus for placemaking through the growth of a local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Catalyze Challenge Grant identified Generation Schools Network as one of 15 innovative organizations chosen from more than 850 applicants to win Round Three of the Catalyze Challenge. With their funding and support, we are expanding our Entrepreneurial Fair in 2024 to include resources for special populations to participate in a more comprehensive way than ever before.

With Catalyze, we will advance our mission to unlock meaningful career-connected learning experiences for learners aged 11-22 by building out intentional place-based entrepreneurship paths alongside local partners to support youth in special populations or that are justice-engaged in releasing their entrepreneurial potential.

Entrepreneurship Fair 2024 Partners