Island County Student Entrepreneur Challenge Gives Teens Real World Business Experience

On November 14, 2025 the Island County Economic Development Council Foundation kicked off its Student Entrepreneur Challenge, a hands on program that matched nine high school teams with mentors from the local business community. Each team of three to five students was tasked with producing a business plan, recruiting investors and selling a product or service during a one week sales period. The program is intended to provide students with real world skills in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and customer engagement while connecting schools with community institutions.

Mentors for the challenge included business leaders from Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Camano. Student ventures entered the competition across a broad range of small scale enterprises, from baked goods and candy sales to portrait photography and landscaping services. Participating teams were required to operate like small businesses, managing costs, revenue and basic marketing to generate measurable profit for comparison in the competition.

Prizes are structured to reward both financial performance and innovation. The team that records the highest profit will receive an in school $250 scholarship and additional awards of $100 per student will be given for the most creative business and the best use of library resources. Organizers plan to conclude the program with awards and a dinner in December, bringing mentors, students and community supporters together to recognize results and reflect on lessons learned.

For Island County residents the program has several local impacts. It provides a low cost pipeline for students to gain practical experience and for small businesses to mentor emerging talent. The involvement of local libraries as a criterion for awards highlights cross institutional collaboration that can expand access to research tools and community space. By emphasizing recruitment of investors and sales performance the challenge also encourages civic engagement around local commerce and investment in youth led enterprises.

The Economic Development Council Foundation initiative raises policy and institutional questions worth monitoring. Measuring short term profit gives clear metrics of success, but tracking longer term outcomes such as entrepreneurship persistence, job readiness and post secondary pathways will determine whether the program strengthens the local workforce. Transparency around funding for scholarships and mentor recruitment will be important for public accountability as the program scales.

As the December awards dinner approaches, Island County officials and residents will have an opportunity to assess whether the Student Entrepreneur Challenge delivers tangible returns for students and the local economy, and whether similar partnerships could be expanded to reach more schools and more communities.