Senior English students have been busy trying to persuade investors to take a chance on them – in the form of a “Shark Tank” research project. 

 Students spent the first six weeks learning about entrepreneurship and persuasive writing and speaking. They then showcased what they had learned by creating businesses, products and pitches. The project cumulated with a panel of “sharks” – administrators from around the district – deciding whether or not to invest. 

“I really had fun,” Superintendent Adam Ivy said. It was good to see them think through the prepped answers they had come up with and realize that they may need to adjust their math. What a great example of how to think ahead and anticipate problems.” 

 The goal of the project was to work on multiple skills and combine them into a real-world application. Students had to think through multiple areas to be successful. 

 “The students have had to anticipate problems and challenges and solve them before their pitches,” teacher Melonie Menefee said. “One of the biggest challenges for them was nervousness-most of them were very anxious about being up in front of adults that they are not used to speaking in front of.”  

Once they got over the nerves, though, students were eager to share their projects with the sharks, even when things got hard.  

“They were hit with tough questions, some of which they had not thought about,” Menefee said. “But all of them held it together to finish their presentations, and several of them made deals with their sharks. It was a fun and successful project.”