Whitfield Enters WWT Shark Tank

Whitfield is one of 17 schools participating in the 2021 World Wide Technology (WWT) Virtual STEM Student Forum: Shark Tank Pitch. The WWT STEM Student Forum is an annual program for high school students that is designed to increase awareness about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and corresponding career opportunities. This is Whitfield's second year participating in this competition. 

The 2021 Virtual STEM Student Forum: Shark Tank Pitch invites teams to identify an area of opportunity within their school that has been directly affected by COVID-19 (school closures, distance learning, testing, Personal Protective Equipment, etc.) Once identified, the teams are to create a solution that can be implemented. The solutions should benefit schools, administrative staff, educators, students, or parents/guardians. Student teams will develop and pitch their solution to World Wide Technology leaders. Each team will have the opportunity to win a grant from WWT to begin implementing their solution.   

Whitfield's team is made up of 10 students and two faculty advisors. World Wide Technology also assigns a WWT mentor to assist and work with the group as they ideate their problem and pose possible solutions. Student participants include: Jacob Charmley '23, William Rose '23, Jean-Paul Vestjens '23, Tyler Arulsamy '22,  Langston DeHart '22, Dane Schuler '22, Ian Beracha '21, Ian Koppe '21, Danny Sallis '21, and Josh Schmidt '21. Mr. Andrew Asikainen and Dr. Heather Lavezzi are the faculty sponsors for the group, and Mr. Neil Wolfman is the team's mentor from World Wide Technology. 

The Virtual STEM Student Forum: Shark Tank Pitch kicked off on February 5. Project submissions are due February 26 and finalists are announced March 12.