High school students pitch ventures at 3 Day Startup

From an augmented reality app that lets you try on clothes before you buy them online, to a business turning waste product into power, participants at Griffith University’s 3 Day Startup (3DS) gave it their all to create a pitch for a new business venture.

More than 30 high school students from St Laurence’s, St James’, St Edmund’s, St Joseph’s Nudgee and St Patrick’s colleges spent three days taking a crash course on entrepreneurship, beginning with basic concepts and ideas before developing professional pitches.

St Laurence’s College students present their final pitch.

“Throughout the 3DS program students have conceived an early-stage venture, worked with industry mentors, and after some workshops, spent several days creating and adapting before wrapping up with a final pitch to an industry panel,” Griffith University Innovation and Entrepreneurship project manager Simon Barclay said.

He said the 3DS program had been delivered by Griffith for several years and promoted creative problem-solving skills.

“These are the skills of the future that are particularly in demand by employers in southeast Queensland at the moment and we expect that demand to only keep rising,” Mr Barclay said.

Participants earned a Griffith Credentials 21^st Century Skills digital badge, and teachers a Mentor badge.

Students from five local boys’ high schools took part in the 3 Day Startup.

St Laurence’s College student Lachlan Munns, 16, said he enjoyed pushing himself out of his comfort zone.

“My favourite activity has been the pitching because you’re both nervous and excited and you have to really try to nail your pitch as best as you can in the five minutes that you have,” Lachlan said.

“My team’s pitch is an augmented reality app that will put clothes on you, so you can see the style and fit without actually having to put it on.”

Other pitches included plans for an escape room, using waste to create renewable energy, a virtual wallet addition for GoCards and more.

St Edmund’s College Head of Enterprise Studies Georgina McMahon believed 3DS had helped the students grow in many different ways.

“They boys have come into the workshop excited about what they might learn, but I think they have learned so much more than they ever thought they would,” Ms McMahon said.

“They’ve learned collaboration and communication skills, they’ve had to step out of their comfort zone and think very creatively.

“It’s hugely important, not only for their enterprise skills, but also their life skills.”

St Edmund’s College student Ethyn Vit, 16, said he was drawn to the 3DS program as he hoped to start a business of his own someday and the program showed him the process of a start-up venture might be different to what he had previously learned in the classroom.

“Throughout 3DS, I’ve learned a lot about real life,” Ethyn said.

“All these things sound good on paper but when it comes down to it you need to think about the logistics, how things are going to work, (the) people you need to talk to — the realities of business.”