Struthers students make 'Shark Tank'-like pitches for a restaurant

STRUTHERS

About two dozen Struthers Middle School students made their first business pitches recently in the school’s first “Shark Tank” challenge, based on the ABC reality TV show “Shark Tank.”

The show features entrepreneurs who pitch their business ideas to a panel of “sharks” who will either fund or reject their plans.

Jennifer Ragusa, a special education teacher, said the challenge was a collaboration among all Struthers eighth-grade students and teachers where students used different aspects in each of their classes to come up with a business plan to create an eco-friendly, sustainable restaurant in an assigned area of the U.S. She said all students were paired in teams of four and that the best six ideas had to present in front of the whole school Monday to a panel of five judges from around Mahoning County.

“Naturally, our judges ... had to at least like the idea and be sold that [the students’] restaurant could physically work,” Ragusa said. “We spent about a week as a team, teaching these kids how to make a sales pitch and all about sustainability in business designs.”

Ragusso said every class was involved in the project, including music and art.

Kylie Thomas, one of the students who presented in the challenge, said that it took a lot of time with her team outside of class to prepare for the event.

Read more about their efforts in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.