Enterprise Olympic winners to visit Washington DC

ENTERPRISE OLYMPIC WINNERS TO VISIT WASHINGTON DC

INVITED TO PRESENT AT INTERNATIONAL FORUM. WINNING ENTRY TO BE PROTECTED BY WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION.

The eight winning students from the global Enterprise Olympics are to present their business plan to the International Partnership Network (IPN) Global Summit in Washington DC and attend the conference’s international Youth Summit.

The New Zealand Young Enterprise team, which beat nine other teams from throughout the world, are able to travel to Washington DC to collect their gold medals thanks to support from Industry New Zealand.

The sponsorship support was announced last night at a ceremony in Auckland’s Business Hall of Fame where a video of the student’s winning performance was broadcast.

They leave New Zealand on 18 November.

The winning team developed a product called ‘Hug-a-Bear’ designed to educate young children on environmental matters. The product line, made from New Zealand wool, includes a story book, bag and range of accessories. Each furry member of the Hug-a-Bear family represents an environmental theme such as deforestation and global warning.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which is part of the United Nations, is presenting the medals in Washington DC.

“WIPO has offered to protect the intellectual property of the winning Enterprise Olympics entries so if, for example, Hug-a-Bear was to be marketed as a product, the students intellectual property would be protected,“ Enterprise New Zealand Trust Executive Director Ken Baker said.

Mr Baker said the support from Industry New Zealand will cover the cost of accommodation and food for the students.

“The Enterprise Olympics has international and local sponsorship but it was not quite enough for the students to get to the awards presentation and attend the IPN conference.

“It was such an outstanding achievement coming first in the world and we are over the moon that they will be able to be there in person to collect their gold medals.”

The winning Enterprise Olympics team consisted of students from secondary schools throughout New Zealand: Charlene Bills, Hawera High School; Lesieli Prescott, Massey High School in Auckland; Carlos Bagrie, James Hargest High School in Invercargill; Blair Howarth, New Plymouth Boys High School; Angela Bocock and Kate Walton, New Plymouth Girls High School; Bridget Mooney, Sacred Heart College in New Plymouth; and Holly Silver, Gisborne Girls High School.

The students are being accompanied by their two business mentors, Industry New Zealand’s Robert Linterman, and Raewyn Tremaine, the Young Enterprise Co-ordinator based in Auckland.

They will be joining some of the Scottish and American students who also participated in the Enterprise Olympics and are visiting a US high school.

General Manager Central Region Claire Johnstone said the team’s result at the Global Enterprise Olympics demonstrates what young people can achieve when given the right type of skills and receive plenty of encouragement.

One of Industry New Zealand’s objectives is to encourage New Zealanders to have a positive attitude toward business success and to value the pursuit of knowledge, encourage risk taking and embrace creativity.

It works in partnership with organisations such as the Enterprise New Zealand Trust to promote enterprise education.

The key sponsors of the Enterprise Olympics are Industry New Zealand, Royal Bank of Scotland, Careers Scotland, Lion Foundation and Taranaki Savings Bank Community Trust, Venture Taranaki and ANZ Gisborne.

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