Metropolitan Community College Longview Campus hosted a CEC-MCC Business Challenge for high school students in the Career Education Consortium (C.E.C.) this fall. Students from the C.O.R.E. (Create, Observe, Research, Engage) Microschool housed at Burke Academy and Ruskin High School business classes participated in the challenge.
Students from around the south Kansas City metro participated in the challenge. There were 12 teams with 59 students from six school districts. High schools represented Center, Grandview, Ruskin, Truman, William Chrisman, and Van Horn. Students represented Herndon Career Center with students from Raytown High, Raytown South, Lee’s Summit High, and Summit Technology Academy with students from Lee’s Summit High, Lee’s Summit North, and Lee’s Summit West.
Collins and Webb Architecture, located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, provided a real-world business challenge for students participating in the challenge. The problem: A location in Lee’s Summit has 14 acres of free land, and they are trying to figure out a family-friendly investment that is sustainable long-term to draw more people to the community.
Students first start in small mixed groups, networking with team-building activities. They then learned the quick pitch process. Afterward, Collins and Webb Architecture presented the challenge and the context for the issue, and the team then went to work solving the problem and developing their pitch presentation.
Once students finished their presentations, it was pitch time! Each team had to present their solution to the problem to the Collins and Webb Architecture Panel. After scoring all proposals, the panel gave the Burke/Ruskin team first place for top innovative ideas. Congratulations to our students for their hard work and inventive critical thinking to earn maximum scores!
ABOUT C.E.C.: C.E.C. programs foster real-world learning and coordinate ongoing collaboration between HMC-1, employers, local colleges, state and local government, and our community to offer high-quality academic programs and career preparation for our students.
