CenterState CEO is offering a new, weeklong summer program for middle schoolers to inspire future entrepreneurs.
Whiz Kidz is open to rising seventh and eighth grade students who are interested in “creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and teamwork.”
The program will run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 24 to 28 at the INSPYRE Innovation Hub in downtown Syracuse. Cost to attend is $300. Families can apply for a scholarship, sponsored by broadband company PPC Belden, by filling out an application.
This is a pilot program for CenterState CEO, with the hope of expanding it in future years, said Elle Hanna, senior vice president of marketing and communications.
Nine of the 15 spots available have already been filled, Hanna said. Registration will remain open until the program is full, she said.
“The kids will get a problem that they’ll have to solve,” Hanna said. “They’re going to hear from other entrepreneurs about how they problem solved, and why that sparked their business. Over the course of the week, they will think about who their customers are, they’re thinking about their budgets. They’ll put together a pitch deck and learn about pitching … and a final presentation on the last day, which is geared to be a little more celebratory.”
The INSPYRE Innovation Hub by CenterState CEO.Provided photo
Participants will spend one day that week at Elite Gaming where they will be tasked as a team to build a virtual public park on a budget, Hanna said.
“When we built INSPYRE, one of the goals that we had for that facility was to have it be a place for all in our community, to have people see themselves in that,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure that our youth know that this is happening here and be inspired by it. That’s who we’re looking for.”