- The competition aimed to develop an entrepreneurial mindset among 228 Orchids students PAN India
- Members of the IIT Bombay E-Cell Wing and Orchids Academic Team had been invited to judge the competition
Orchids – The International School conducted its first-ever Shark Tank-inspired competition to nurture innovation and entrepreneurial outlook among the students. The Shark Tank was a part of a series of competitions organized to help students hone the art of being a creator. The Sharks or the judges for this competition were members of the E-Cell Wing from IIT Bombay and members of Orchids Academic Planning Wing. India is now at the precipice of being a creator economy with startups, venture capitalists and innovators bustling to make their mark. The government’s push for Make In India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat is a welcoming environment for young minds and this is what Orchids – The International School wants to encourage its students towards.
The disruptive pitch competition was welcomed by parents, students, and the organization. 228 students comprising of either a group of 3 or individuals from Grade 6 to Grade 10 battled it out virtually in Shark-Tank style with their par perfect negotiation, oratory, and convincing skills. Each pitch had to come with an idea that has Market Value, and a time limit of 10 minutes equally divided for presentation and discussion with the Sharks.
Out of the 228 participants for the event, 3 best ideas were selected from each grade i.e from Grade 6 to Grade 10 as winners. Here’s a small list of the products that were presented during the competition.
- River Interceptor – Helps reduce water pollution
- Wind Generator – Saving Electricity
- IWRY Fashion – Customized, Trendiest and affordable youth-wear up to XXXL size
- AptOptic – Shoe for the visually challenged / blind that helps in detecting obstacles with a buzzer sound
- AMA – A water cooled phone case
- PRO LEBEN – Hi-tech helmet that uses sensors to communicate info to emergency centres
- BOOK WEAR – Eco-friendly book jackets
- Treats & Trails – Homemade dog treats
The idea behind the event was to also spark children’s entrepreneurial ambitions by giving them an early head start. With this initiative, the STEP ventured into the domain of Entrepreneurship and Real Life Innovation.
Dr Kavita Nagpal, Principal, Orchids The International School, Masjid Bunder said, “Orchids management has always believed in encouraging students to think out of the box, rather than only focus on bookish knowledge. The enthusiasm we witnessed among the students has been phenomenal. Some of the ideas shared by the younger students have surprised the judges beyond expectation. I want to congratulate all the participants and will urge them to keep believing in themselves and their imaginations.”
“This is a remarkable initiative from Orchids – The International School. Activities like these enable kids to think ahead of their time, based on the observations they make every day and mould them for the challenges in the future from a young age. Conducting a competition based on a show that has real-time entrepreneurs and innovators is a bold and exemplary move, and it was truly heartening to see all the ideas presented during the event. I really enjoyed seeing the kids participating with all the enthusiasm,” said Shark 1 – Sayak Mitra, Product Manager at K12 Techno Services.
About Orchids – The International School:
Orchids-The International School is one of the leading international K12 school chains in India had started its journey in 2002 with its first branch in Hyderabad. In less than two decades it has grown into 60+ branches spread over 11 major cities- Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Chennai, Kolkata Nagpur, Nasik, Tumkur, Aurangabad. Modern physical infrastructure, ensuring personalized attention by following 1:12 teacher-student ratio, and carefully curated curriculum provide uniformity in all Orchids schools. Orchids follow CBSE and ICSE curricula infused with international teaching methodologies to provide a strong emphasis on personality development along with academic excellence. Currently, it has over 30000+ students and 3000+ teaching and non-teaching staff.
