Due to COVID-19, HSCF like many other businesses had to pivot so we turned our traditional in-person residential camp into an online program designed. This summer, HSCF launched our first two-year virtual residential cohort with 80+ hours of programming, 19 days (June -July), numerous top executive leaders, and industry experts in partnership with Smithfield Foods, Inc.
We designed a highly engaging and intense program to inspire our ambassadors to utilize their ingenuity to create innovative start-up businesses. Their exposure to cutting-edge STEM and business techniques around the area of Agriculture and Technology help to widen their perspectives on the many ways Agri-Tech is all around us. We also focused primarily on minority females in middle and high school primary in the North Carolina and Virginia area. This is to effort to expose this next generation of leader's different career and education options in STEAM.
The cohort was kicked off with special messages from the Founder of HSCF, Tina Taylor and Schwanzetta Williams, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Smithfield Foods, Inc.
We had numerous CEO's, SVPs, Managing Directors from Smithfield Foods, Clorox, GE, American Express, global entrepreneurship, and many others to guide these young leaders in informative and spirited discussions leading to an intensive business competition. Our ambassadors showcased their entrepreneurial skills from the variety of sessions in Leadership (learning 5 Top strengths from an StrenghtsFinders Assessment), they learned to hydroponically grow plants utilizing renewable materials, coding and robotics using our Edison robot platform, leadership & team-building skill, and financial business basics.
This was an amazing opportunity for our ambassadors created their innovative tech business and pitched their developmental products in a “Shark Tank” like environment, to a panel of esteem executive judges from the Agribusiness and investment industry.
At its conclusion, many innovative and creative ideas were presented, with three groups earning scholarship awards. Our First-Place winner, “Eco-Essentials” with custom made and eco-friendly tote bags, were presented with a $1500 award. The Second-Place winner was “Vivification”, which developed an educational on-line gaming service. Their award was worth $1000. In Third place and receiving a $500 reward was “EcoAirOil” which presented an eco-friendly alternative to gasoline powered automobiles.
HSCF would like to congratulate ALL of our business teams and their wonderful ideas. “You have proven that the future is bright indeed”, quote for PhD STEM Candidate, Joseph Issac.
We are looking forward to the the cohort's Fall/Winter session for the Hackathon session and the ability to give out more award and scholarships that will be announced at our Global Holiday Concert.
If you are interested in joining the 2022 camp, sign-up to our newsletter registration opens November 1st, 2021. If you have more regarding the program, please contact our office at supportcohort@hscamps.org.
