Young Entrepreneurs: Prizes and Grants

Loretta George

1 year ago

An info banner at the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market last Saturday.

The Fort Scott Farmers Market showcased some young business people on September 30.

“Most of the children that had booths had attended at least one workshop at Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (office) before Saturday’s event,” said Dacia Clark, Pittsburg State University’s Small Business Development Center.

The SBDC partners with HBCAT in Fort Scott.

“We held two different workshops (for the young entrepreneurs) before Saturday,” she said. “One was about business planning and just introducing business terminology to the kids and the other workshop talked about pricing and expenses.”

“We ended up having 20 kids participate on Saturday and gave out $340 in prize money,” she said.

1^st Place received $50, 2^nd Place received $25 and 3^rd Place received $10.

There were four different age groups: 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, and 14-16 year-olds.

5-7 Age Group

1^st Place – Adelaide Bowman

2^nd Place – Judah Whitson

3^rd Place – Ethan Nilges

8-10 Age Group

1^st Place – Jonathon Howard

2^nd Place – Camren lamb

3^rd Place – Asher Whitson

11-13 Age Group

1^st Place – Gunner Keylon

2^nd Place – Anabelle Nilges

3^rd Place – Isabelle Nilges

14-16 Age Group

1^st Place – Natalie Lehman

2^nd Place – Luke Lehman

3^rd Place – Devlin Cole

There is the possibility of another Children’s Business Fair at Fort Scott Farmers Market next spring, she said.

For more information or to become involved with the Children’s Business Fair, please email Rachel Carpenter at info@hbcat.org

FortScott.Biz Grant Recipients Tell of Plans

Several children received $50 grants from a fortscott.biz reader who wished to remain anonymous.

The subscriber who had been reading the Young Entrepreneur Series on fortscott.biz this summer was touched by the efforts of the children and wanted to support each young entrepreneur’s business.

This is what he wrote:

“I always stop at the local kids’ lemonade stands. When I was growing up in Fort Scott, I remember the postman buying a cup of lemonade from me. For some reason that stayed with me.

“Selling Grit Magazine door to door, making birdhouses and selling them door to door, having a Tribune newspaper route back when you paid for your batch of papers up front, delivered them, and then collected monthly. If anyone stiffed you, you were out the dough. All of those things were great life lessons for me growing up in Fort Scott. That’s why I really like your program of highlighting young entrepreneurs”

The Young Entrepreneur Series features youth under 18 years old who have a business in product or services.

To recommend a young entrepreneur in our community, please send contact info, email, or phone number to news@fortscott.biz

The following are the recipient’s comments about how the grant was spent:

Devlin Cole, 16, sells handmade leather crafts at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30.

“I’m purchasing more supplies for my leather crafts, Devlin Cole said. “I’m very appreciative for the money. Thankfully there is someone wanting to do that for kids wanting to make a name for themselves.”

Malachi Whitson, jewelry maker, at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on September 2023.

“I bought different things for my jewelry business,” Malachi Whitson, age 10, said. “It was a big boost. I’m so glad he did it, it helped a lot.”

Camren Lamb shows a placard explaining where he spent his Young Entrepreneur Grant. He had a booth for his artwork and guitar playing at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30, 2023.

“The funds went directly to Answers in Genesis 2024 Vacation Bible School Program Kit,” Melanie Lamb, Camren’s mom said. “It will be used over and over. Camren’s first priority is to do it at youth homes and places with children in need. But he also plans to collaborate with kids near his age to do the program here in Fort Scott.”

Camren, 10, also purchased four Samaritan’s Purse and Bible Workbook Kits, his mom said.

Asher Whitson, a young entrepreneur, makes cards and decorative art.

Asher Whitson, whose business is Art by Asher, spent his grant money “to help a single mom and the rest towards buying new items for his business,” Maria Whitson, his mom said.

Judah Whitson at his shop at the Fort Scott Farmers Market, September 2023.

“Judah gave a little to help the single mom (his brother Asher also did this) and he saved the rest to buy a cow,” Maria Whitson, his mom said.