LAB Week 2024

June 16-21 Painesville, OH

Please Note: There is a $350 fee to participate in LAB Week; however, need-based scholarships are available.

Students of LAB Week 2024 will earn three college credits for their participation in the program. Learning About Business and Lake Erie College have partnered to offer credit for LEC's Fundamentals of Enterprise as transferable credits to any college or university. Students who successfully complete LAB Week are also eligible for a $4,000 scholarship if they decide to attend Lake Erie College for post-secondary education.

Stock Market Challenge

April 24 Tri-C Corporate College East

This high energy event is designed to simulate the excitement of a real-life trading floor. Teams of 4 to 5 students learn to work together, leverage each other’s strengths, and use critical thinking skills while analyzing news articles and data during a fierce high-stakes competition.

Upcycle: Enterprise

Cleveland or Online Version

Students will explore social entrepreneurship through creative lessons, hands-on prototyping and an opportunity to pitch ideas. The two-hour field trip & innovation session focuses on creativity, innovation, developing quick designs from upcycled materials, student report-backs and pitches on prototypes.

Akron Suarez Applied Marketing Lab

University of Akron

The Benjamin and Nancy Suarez Applied Marketing Research Lab features a Cognitive Research Laboratory with state-of-the-art technologies focusing on techniques such as eye tracking, brainwave function, and physiological analyses; a Marketing Intelligence Laboratory with workstations where students and faculty can develop comprehensive market intelligence reports.

YEI Young Entrepreneur Market

Multiple Locations

The market provides real-world selling opportunities at community events. Any young entrepreneur can sign up to receive mentoring and the opportunity to sell their products or services!

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Case Western Reserve University

A 50,000 square-foot innovation center and markerspace. High schools throughout Northeast Ohio are invited to tour the center and participate in a workshop that will expose students to a variety of equipment as they work through the design process. Students will create a physical product and will be introduced to 3D printing, laser cutting, and more!

NEO High School Microgrant

Please Note: Applications for the microgrant are currently closed. Applications will reopen in Fall 2024.

All high school students in Northeast Ohio having an idea for a product or service, or who have a side hustle or business and are looking to scale, can apply for a microgrant to start or expand on their businesses! Grant applications will describe their business idea, how it solves a problem in society, their target market, stage of development, how much funding is needed, and how the funding will be used.

Youth Bee Works Hive Sponsorship

Please Note: Due to an overwhelming number of inquires, applications for this program are currently closed.

Hive sponsorships from Youth Bee Works Edenculture give students a unique opportunity to not only witness a fully functional economic force, but also to create a revenue stream from the production of honey.

thinkBIG! Challenge

An online business plan competition for high school students in Northeast Ohio, offering $9,000 in prizes. Finalists attend Executive Coaching and receive guidance from entrepreneurial professionals in the Cleveland business community.

thinkBIG! Summit

The thinkBIG! Summit provides a climactic close to the annual thinkBIG! Challenge by providing a platform for the Final Challenge teams to pitch their ideas. Finalists present to a panel of judges as part of the full-day conference on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Students are encouraged to attend regardless of entering into the challenge.

Thinkfest Ideation Workshop

Please Note: This program does not change year-to-year. We recommend educators take students who have not already attended this program.

Steered by Dr. Jeffrey Stamp, inventor, creator, and entrepreneur. This interactive program is designed to inspire high school students to develop and entrepreneurial mindset and to recognize, develop and pitch business ideas. The program is a partnership with John Carroll University.

Hackathon

The Design Challenge Hackathon allows students to learn a series of skill sets through workshops, mentorship, and curriculum provided and facilitated by GiveBackHack. Students have the opportunity to pitch their own idea or join another team to work with through the event.

Skill Building Workshop

Students attend skills-based workshops throughout the day facilitated by local entrepreneurs. These workshops teach key business fundamentals such as: product creation, prototyping, branding, adaptation, and identifying customers’ needs.

DesignIS: Change

The DesignIS: Change workshop is an interactive experience that explores the power of design and allows attendees to think deeply about solving a social impact problem. Attendees will learn the six-step design thinking process, empathy mapping, and expand their imagination through creative exploration.