K-12 students explore entrepreneurship, economics with UM-Flint's Young Sharks/Junior Sharks program

The 2026 Young Sharks and Junior Sharks Pitch Competitions were a "splashing success," according to Paula Nas, director of the Office of Economic Development and Community Engagement at the University of Michigan-Flint.

The annual competition is the culmination of a yearlong integration of entrepreneurship, economics and innovation into existing 3-8 curricula. "We consistently hear from teachers that this is one of the favorite events for the students to participate in as the curriculum provides a fun, engaging and innovative way to teach economics and entrepreneurship," said Nas.

More than 300 elementary and middle school students participated in the events, with Young Sharks hosting students in grades 3-5 and Junior Sharks for students in grades 6-8. With support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, all winning teams received a medal, a captain's hat, and an oversized check with their team's monetary award.

Teachers interested in participating in the program attend a professional development session to learn more about the curriculum, connect with other participating teachers, and engage in impactful conversations with the creators of the program. 

"Those teachers who move forward with the program received the full curriculum, accompanying worksheets, and ongoing support from OED and CE," Nas said. "The curriculum covers everything from what it means to be an entrepreneur, how to innovate and work as a team, and fundamental concepts of revenues, costs and profit. In addition to economics, the curriculum also incorporates math, social studies and writing."

After the professional development session, teachers incorporate the material into their lesson plans. Teams of two to five students are formed and together they choose a problem to solve by offering a solution. Students develop and refine their projects over weeks of learning and teamwork, culminating in pitches to their classmates. One to two top teams from each classroom are selected to compete against the other participating classrooms in the pitch competition at UM-Flint.

Students in grades 6-8 who were not in the semifinal pitches were able to practice their Geographic Information Systems skills with an entrepreneurial twist with OED and CE staff. 

The 2026 Junior Sharks Pitch Competition winner was "Barberetta" from Grand Blanc's Bobcat Innovation. "Barbaretta" is a social enterprise barber shop that offers a hair service to someone in need when a customer uses the service for themself. Second place went to "Pro-Candy" from Grand Blanc East Middle School, a healthy, protein-packed candy alternative. "Jarz," an automated street cleaner, from Grand Blanc West Middle School took third. "Never Lose a Fish," a redesigned fishing leader, from Bobcat Innovation rounded out the Junior Sharks winners in fourth place.

The top pitch in the Young Sharks was "Scan and Charge Backpack" from Mason Elementary, a backpack that scans its contents to make sure you haven't forgotten any supplies as well as charges your technology.  "Cooling Glasses Pads" from Meyers Elementary, pads for the nose of your glasses that stay cool, took second place. The third-place winners were "Blooming Friends" from Mason Elementary, a traveling plant care service. 

A crucial aspect of the events, according to Nas, is judging. 

"We work to gather a panel of judges composed of community leaders, business executives, top faculty and highly engaged university students," Nas said. "Providing diverse viewpoints on the panel not only ensures fair judging for the contestants, but it also exposes them to the multitude of ways entrepreneurial thinking intersects with daily life."

Junior Sharks was judged by Effie Alofoje-Carr, community growth fellow at 100k Ideas; Jashell Mitchell-Cross, development officer at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint; Paulina Rivera, a senior human biology major from Ortonville; and Duc Vu, assistant professor of operations and supply chain management.

Young Sharks was judged by a small panel including Tim Bates, clinical professor of cybersecurity; Lauren Holaly-Zembo, CEO of the Crim Fitness Foundation, Christina Irwin, city manager of Grand Blanc; Mohamed Mkaouer, associate professor of computer science; and Erik Perkins, owner of the Garden Building of Grand Blanc.

According to Melissa Chappell, a fourth-grade teacher at Mason Elementary, the Young and Junior Sharks program is more than a worksheet and a field trip. 

"My students have never been so excited about economics. They take this project and run with it! I truly believe that this is a project that will stick with them for a long time to come," Chappell said.

More information about the Young Sharks and Junior Sharks program is available online. Teachers interested in participating in the 2027 competition should contact Nas at pnas@umich.edu.