On Thursday, 6 February, Wheatley’s DECA Club hosted the 2nd Annual Wheatley Innovations Challenge. Ninety-six students from nine schools including Carle Place, Herricks, Jericho, Roslyn, Plainview-Old Bethpage, Huntington, Commack, and Schreiber participated in the day’s events.
The day started off with an invigorating presentation by Entrepreneur Jeffery Hill on building a business from the ground up. Then the students were off to compete in teams of 3 in a business role-play simulation as well as a Principal’s Challenge. For the Innovations challenge, students were asked to come up with new and innovative ideas for the development of a vacant, 50+ acre plot of land that is owned by the Town of Oyster Bay. Working as collaborative teams, the students made verbal presentations of their strategic plan to our judges.
The 2nd challenge involved increasing food sales and meal participation in the Wheatley Cafeteria. The teams were encouraged to browse the cafeteria layout and food options. The students came up with some great ideas for the cafeteria space, including some delicious menu options that can be featured weekly.
Feedback from participants, as well as the judges, indicated the competition was a great experience for the students. It truly gave them the opportunity to participate in real-world business situations. It also helped to prepare them for their future endeavors and gave them the confidence to try new things.
Overall, the competition was a great success and we look forward to hosting it again next year! Thank you to Diane Castonguay, Marcela Moran, Robert Teseo, Alexis Pace, Ed Kemnitzer, Alison Warner, Jo Beth Roberts, Diane Ikliw, Karen Homer, Sean Cashman, Andrea Snyder, and Jeffrey Hill for serving as judges for the competition.
A special thank you goes to Mrs. Kristen Malik, our Business teacher and DECA Club Advisor.
[Thank you to Dr. Teseo and Mrs. Malik for the write-up.]
