K-State partners and NetWork Kansas continue K-State 105 collaboration for statewide Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge
Monday, Oct. 7, 2024
Learn more about the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge series in the video above.
MANHATTAN — Several Kansas State University partners are continuing an important collaboration with NetWork Kansas to build the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge as one of the leading youth entrepreneurship competitions in the state of Kansas.
The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge, or KEC, is a program of the NetWork Kansas Entrepreneurship E-Community Partnership and involves several K-State partners, including the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business Administration.
Through the K-State 105 initiative, K-State Research and Extension and Kansas 4-H are involved for the second year in a row. K-State Research and Extension and Kansas 4-H are providing nearly $100,000 in support for KEC per year for three consecutive years.
"Youth are the future of Kansas," said Gregg Hadley, K-State assistant vice president and director for extension. "The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge enables youth to develop and implement innovative business ideas. K-State is excited to work with NetWork Kansas and our 4-H youth development program to provide the education our youth need to be confident business leaders in the future."
The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge represents the culmination of the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, or YEC, Series, a sequence of community-based entrepreneurship competitions for students in grades 6-12.
NetWork Kansas, a statewide entrepreneurial organization, coordinates the YEC series and KEC in partnership with the K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. The 2024-2025 competition year marks the 12th annual YEC Series
During the most recent 2023-2024 competition year, the YEC Series held 58 local-level competitions featuring 1,159 high school and middle school students from across Kansas. More than $90,000 in prize money was awarded to winners across the state. First-place winners of local YEC events, plus 15 wild-card entries, advanced to KEC, which occurred at K-State in spring 2024.
At KEC, young entrepreneurs competed in three rounds of live mock board rooms and a separate, optional tradeshow as well as a networking game. Overall, more than $80,000 in total prizes were awarded at the 2024 KEC.
"We at NetWork Kansas are so excited to announce our partnership with K-State Research and Extension," said Amara Kniep, director of E-Community Partnership. "Their dedication to serving Kansans and offering resources across the state aligns closely with our mission. We are very much looking forward to working together to provide hands-on learning opportunities for youth across all 105 Kansas counties."
For K-State Research and Extension, the continued collaboration with NetWork Kansas is extending another proven program to build vital communities across the state.
"Through 4-H, K-State has a long history of providing high-quality positive youth development programming in all 105 Kansas counties," said Sarah Maass, state 4-H youth development program leader. "Through this partnership with NetWork Kansas, we can enhance some of our programming efforts to help the youth of today be beyond ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge provides a unique educational opportunity to empower young people."
New materials, including updated competition guidelines, have been released to support series coordinators. These are available to competition organizers. Watch a short video to learn more about the YEC series.
Key dates for the 2024-2025 competition year include:
• Nov. 15, 2024: Deadline to sanction YEC event
• March 24, 2025: Cutoff date for sanctioned community entrepreneurship competitions
• March 24, 2025: Wild-card entries for KEC State Championship due
• March 24, 2025: Deadline for YEC winners to sign up for KEC State Championship
• April 17, 2025: KEC State Championship at K-State
For more information or to learn more about the YEC Series, visit https://goventuredash.com/series/1680. To learn more about KEC, visit cba.ksu.edu/kec or reach out to Bailee Henry at bhenry@networkkansas.com.
Kansas State University partners and NetWork Kansas are building the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge to be one of the leading youth entrepreneurship competitions in the state. | Download this photo.
About K-State Research and Extension:
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
About K-State 105:
K-State 105 is Kansas State University's answer to the call for a comprehensive economic growth and advancement solution for Kansas. The initiative leverages the statewide K-State Research and Extension network to deliver the full breadth of the university's collective knowledge and solution-driven innovation to every Kansan, right where they live and work. Additionally, K-State 105 forges the connections and partnerships that create access to additional expertise in other higher education institutions and state agencies, nonprofits and corporations — all part of an effort to build additional capacities and strengths in each of the 105 counties in the state. For more information, visit k-state.edu/105
About NetWork Kansas:
NetWork Kansas was established as a component of the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 to further entrepreneurship and small business growth as a priority for economic and community development in the State of Kansas. Backed by more than 500 partners statewide, the NetWork Kansas service promotes an entrepreneurial environment by connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the expertise, education and economic resources they need in order to succeed.
NetWork Kansas facilitates the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem within participating communities through the E-Community Partnership. Contributing factors to successful development include the availability of financial capital, support from local leadership and the development of educational resources. All of these factors combine to increase entrepreneurial activity in participating towns, leading to increased startup activity, business expansion, job creation and more.
For more information about the E-Community Partnership, visit ecommpartnership.com or call 877-521-8600.
