JASWO - Pitch Your Vision

Welcome to

JA Pitch your Vision 

About Pitch your Vision

Pitch your Vision is a 6-week learning experience that provides students in Grades 9-12 with the opportunity to explore generating, developing and evaluating ideas for launching a new entrepreneurial venture. This learning experience allows students to develop and test new ideas in an environment that encourages and celebrates creativity and innovation. Students will develop and test ideas through market research and prototyping, set goals, develop a business plan, and learn how to pitch their product/ service. 

At the end of the program, students will enter their business idea focused on supporting one of the UN sustainable development goals into a pitch competition. Judges will evaluate all submissions and the top teams will be invited to pitch in a live virtual event. 

Upon completing the program students should be able to understand the significance of entrepreneurship and innovation in today’s society and economy, generate, develop and pitch an innovative idea, and evaluate the feasibility and competitiveness of a new venture.

JA Pitch your Vision does not include the opportunity for students to actually launch and run their small business as part of the program. This opportunity is included in the JA Company Program, which can be run as an in-school or after-school experience over a period of 12-18 weeks. If you are interested in having your students participate in this longer, more intensive experience contact your local JA Program Manager and ask them about JA Company Program.

 

Program Delivery Format

The outline for the program was developed as an in-class experience but can be modified to accommodate virtual learning. There are many platforms and tools such as slack, teams, google meet, zoom and others that can be used to facilitate the instructional elements and allow for collaboration amongst students as required.  Please contact your JA Program Manager if you are looking for recommendations.

 

Teacher Role

The teacher will act as a business advisor, and supervisor to their students, helping them develop and test ideas while developing an understanding of business and entrepreneurship through this experiential program.

The responsibility of the teacher is to help the students organize and assemble information so that they can make sound business decisions, without making those decisions for them. This is accomplished by understanding the program, highlighting important factors and asking questions which will stimulate the students' thinking throughout the process.

• Work closely with the students, and communicate with your JA Program Manager to ensure the success of the program
• Commit to the agreed program delivery timeframe
• Lead students through the program as outlined below
• Supervise the students and ensure they are following all guidelines
• Review each lesson/activity and to prepare for your meetings
• Be comfortable and willing to share your own professional experience/knowledge
• Ensure the students are meeting all outcomes of the program in a timely manner

Time Commitment

• Preparation time will vary – on average 15-20 minutes before each session
• Approximately 2-2.5 hours per week
• Program duration is 6 weeks, plus a virtual pitch event for the top teams