8th Graders Prepare for Shark Tank by Learning the Art of the Pitch

8th Graders are hard at work putting the finishing touches on their capstone entrepreneurial projects, submitting business plans, and preparing for our favorite springtime event: Shark Tank! The experience is the culmination of over ten years of instruction in personal leadership, finance and entrepreneurial education, as students launch their own businesses.

This year, Aspen Academy partnered with Pitch Lab Co-founder and Denver-based comedian, Jay Mays, to teach students the art of the pitch - giving them tips to be more engaging public speakers and storytellers. Students participated in a three-day workshop with Jay, focused on speaking delivery, managing their stage fright, pace, and tone, and harnessing the power of a dramatic pause. They also learned how to prioritize connection over perfection, and showcase authenticity to build trust with their audience. Jay also helped them to uncover the most important elements for memorable storytelling, using funny stories and great jokes to remind students to have fun with it!

Students shared takeaways after the workshop, commenting that they learned “to pause, take a breath, and focus on being yourself, instead of perfectly sticking to a script.” A few students also commented on how Jay explained that your body experiences nerves the same way it experiences excitement, and to use the words, “I am excited,” to help ease the tension.

Students have had integrated leadership development and entrepreneurial education throughout their years at Aspen Academy through their daily Aspen Youth Leadership Institute curriculum and coursework. They’ve had the opportunity to explore their personal interests, passions, strengths, and areas for growth - and now they’ve leveraged that knowledge, turning their “thoughts into things,” creating something from nothing, in the launch of their own ventures, many that incorporate positive change making in society with proceeds benefiting causes of importance to students. 

This capstone experience puts purpose and product behind so many of the core academic and leadership skills that students have learned over their years at Aspen Academy. It brings their developed skills in self-awareness, and civic and community engagement, alongside core academic skills in finance, mathematics, writing and speaking. It’s truly a prime example of real world education, and we were honored to have Pitch Lab as a partner in that this year. The experience is largely the case for Aspen Academy’s launch of Future Holders, a tech based venture for teaching leadership, finance, and entrepreneurship in schools and homes across the country.

Students look forward to pitching their ideas, both on video and live in the upcoming weeks. A range of ideas and industries will be showcased, everything from Golf Subscription Boxes in ForeBox, to Chronos, an IOS app supporting time management and productivity, to LineArt, which develops hands-on products to support youth in math education. We look forward to seeing the impact of Pitch Lab’s workshops at Shark Tank in May.

How You Lead Your Life Matters. Read more about Leadership & Entrepreneurship at Aspen Academy.

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