West Virginia University’s Impact Challenge pairs middle and high school students from across West Virginia with current WVU students to research and develop innovative, profitable fashion- or health-focused business models aimed at tackling one of Appalachia’s challenges.

The Impact Challenge is a partnership between WVU Extension, the WVU Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab, College of Creative Arts and Media, Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the John Chambers College of Business and Economics.

The annual immersive weekend experience helps connect middle and high school students with WVU students, coaches and disciplinary experts to develop team building, research and entrepreneurial skills.

“During the Impact Challenge, students get a sense of harnessing their own power and capacity for a good cause. Coming in, many of these students didn’t expect to produce these complex ideas and business plans, and doing so really boosts their confidence in their own capability and expands their view of what is possible,” said Dana Wright, WVU Extension family and community development agent.

This time, two tracks were offered: health and fashion. Students in the health track visited the WVU Innovation Corporation and attended multiple health-focused classes with the goal of expanding their idea of what the health field can be.

In the fashion track, students toured the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media and learned to sew at the Amy A. Bircher Textiles Laboratory, as well as visited Plato’s Closet and the Goodwill Outlet distribution center to learn about fashion and sustainability from established profitable businesses.

Teams worked with WVU students to create business ideas to pitch to peers, faculty and industry representatives at the WVU LaunchLab. Projects tackled a variety of problems, including reducing germs in school settings, increasing access to safe drinking water, protecting the mental health of youth, creating community and school-based thrift stores, and developing sustainable and recycled jewelry.

The winning team in the health track developed an innovative new way to keep school bathrooms clean and reduce the spread of disease. The winning team in the fashion track developed a plan to make high quality accessible for all students at their school.

“I’ve learned how to work with others in a team through all the group activities we’ve done, and I learned about how to start a business and that even an idea that seems silly at first can end up being a really cool idea,” said Claire, a middle school student from Braxton County. “I’ve never really known what I wanted to do when I grow up, so I think the Impact Challenge will affect my future because it has given me an outlet to be an entrepreneur, which I’m very interested in after this weekend.”

The Impact Challenge allows students to build these foundational skills in teamwork and public speaking, while also empowering them to think outside the box to create an idea that can make a real difference in their community.

Additionally, being on a college campus makes higher education tangible for West Virginia students. For middle schoolers especially, some haven’t thought about life after graduation, and with this experience, they get to explore the option of going to college and see that it is realistic for them.

“I was a first-generation student, and I had no idea what I was getting into coming to college. It’s so great that these kids get to do this at such a young age, so they can envision what it feels like to be a student, to present and work as a team, and to get a feeling for the campus,” said Heather Wenderlich, a human nutrition and foods student at WVU. “I hope that participants come away from the Impact Challenge with the knowledge that if they have a goal, they can accomplish it and make an impact on everyone around them.”

Students enrolled in the WVU Extension Young Innovators Program from five counties were able to participate in the Impact Challenge through support from the Benedum Foundation and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture.

If you want to learn more about WVU Extension, visit extension.wvu.edu or follow @WVUExtension on Facebook, YouTube, X and Instagram.