A group of Beacon Hill High School pupils will soon be wearing the designer sneakers they created in a 10-hour entrepreneurial challenge.
They were part of the Metro Kickstarz programme, hosted by Metropolitan, and were tasked with creating a company to design and market a product.
The name of their company and sneakers was Speed Catchers. The group of Grade 11 pupils included Charles Bennett, Shadlyn Burn, Zoe Davids, Adielah Armine, Muminah Abrahams, Candice Adams, Chesray Abrahams, Chad Adams and Alicia Adams.
The Beacon Valley school received a cheque for R20 000, which will be used to buy projectors, and the pupils who won will see their design produced, with matching gear, and delivered to the school within the next six weeks.
Chesray said they had not expected to win.
Chad said they had worked as a team and pooled their ideas.
“The sneaker can be worn by the youth, and we’ve inserted some pink for the girls and some blue for the boys,” he said.
He said their logo was a dream catcher and the sneakers had to help them catch their dreams fast.
Metropolitanrepresentatives briefed the participants and hosted information sessions on finance and creating a brand.
Chad said he had learned a lot and that he would share information about budgets, investments and saving money with his family and friends.
The top-five groups presented their sneakers to the school on Friday February 15.
Patronella Sowo, the company’s corporate social investment specialist, who attended the presentations, said she was impressed by the pupils’ behaviour, designs and hard work. She said they did have to work on their presentation skills.
Principal Gregory Kannemeyer, said: “Today I stand in front of you as a proud dad, knowing that my children have delivered.”
This is the second year the programme has been run at the school and the second cheque they have received worth R20 000.
He said the partnership would continue for another five years because the pupils needed the investment. Mr Kannemeyer said the programme developed the next generation of financial savvy Beacon Valley residents.
He said the lessons learned during the sessions gave pupils the confidence that they could do anything they set their minds to.
He said all the teachers would be on board to further improve the work of the Grade 11 pupils who would compete next year.
“Their presentation skills need work and this stands pupils in good stead when they have to do orals. It does not matter where you come from but where you are heading. Our pupils can walk into any company, and I want to thank them for flying the Beacon Hill High School flag high,” he said.
Pupils were also encouraged to use their pocket allowance according to a budget, which should include saving money, to participate in their families’ financial discussions, to know the difference between credit and debt, to use the many resources available to them, to start “money conversations” with their parents, and to enrol for financial programmes.
