Empowering Kansas Youth: K-State 105 Partners Unite to Expand Statewide Youth Entrepreneurship Programme

K-State 105 partners, NetWork Kansas and K-State Research and Extension, have united with the goal of elevating the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge (KEC) and Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) to a new level of prominence. This unique collaboration aims to position these competitions as among the most significant youth entrepreneurship events in the state.

Deborah Kohl, the program leader coordinator for community vitality for K-State Research and Extension, underscored the importance of the partnership, stating, “This unique partnership presents us with an opportunity to harness the strength of our K-State Research and Extension system across all 105 counties. By providing personnel and judges, we will be able to elevate the KEC and YEC programs, thereby creating even greater opportunities for youth to make a meaningful impact in their lives and communities.”

Bailee Henry, Senior product manager for NetWork Kansas, expressed enthusiasm about leveraging K-State Research and Extension’s extensive network and their presence in all 105 counties across the state. This collaboration opens the door to expanding the program statewide, offering valuable opportunities to youth across Kansas.

A significant commitment from K-State Research and Extension and Kansas 4-H will fully fund the KEC for the next three years, with an annual investment of nearly £100,000. Deborah Kohl highlighted the university’s dedication, stating, “Our aspiration is that following this inaugural competition year, our partnership will be able to organize new competitions across the state, reaching areas that NetWork Kansas has not yet been able to access. This exemplifies the impactful work we are undertaking as a university, reaching every corner of the state.”

The KEC is the final stage of a series of community-based entrepreneurship competitions for students in grades 6-12, known as the YEC series. This initiative, now in its 11th year, is coordinated by NetWork Kansas in partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship in the K-State College of Business Administration.

Bailee Henry from NetWork Kansas reiterated the commitment to investing in the youth of Kansas, emphasizing the importance of showing them that entrepreneurship is a viable career path and continuing to invest in their communities.

For K-State Research and Extension, this collaboration represents an opportunity to extend a proven program to build vibrant communities across the state, while forming a strong partnership with NetWork Kansas for future endeavors.

Key dates for the 2023-24 competition year have been outlined, including the cutoff date for sanctioned community entrepreneurship competitions on March 19, 2024, and the KEC State Championship at K-State on April 16, 2024.

For more information about the YEC series, please visit goventuredash.com/series/1219. To learn more about KEC, please visit cba.ksu.edu/kec.

The commitment of the K-State 105 partners to youth entrepreneurship, and their collaborative efforts, are poised to have a lasting impact on the future generation of Kansas entrepreneurs.