About the Project

This project establishes the Merced College Shark Tank Innovation Challenge, a business-focused competition that brings together high school students and their teachers from four local schools for a day-long event on the Merced College campus. Students will participate in an innovation and pitch competition, where they work in teams to design and build a product for a target demographic using provided materials. The event, hosted and judged by Merced College faculty, students, and administrators, aims to expose participants to college life and inspire them to pursue higher education and careers in business. The initiative emphasizes teamwork, leadership, public speaking, and problem-solving, while promoting equity, inclusion, and future-oriented thinking. The program also fosters relationships between students, faculty, and the broader community, with the ultimate goal of motivating students to see themselves as future college students and leaders.