Grade 3rd – 6th students attending Rochester Roots’ SEE program have an entrepreneurial SOLUTION; they are learning about sustainability and entrepreneurship to become Rochester’s Changemakers.  Motivated to self-determine their own future, they are developing businesses to improve the sustainability and wellbeing of their community, including, manufacturing, services and educational games businesses.

RCSD’s Montessori Academy & Lakeshore Elementary School youth entrepreneurs will present their business concepts, research, products, and plans to a panel of judges and interested community members on June 16th. Through SEE, which includes the support of senior college engineers, professors, business mentors and experts, they aspire to develop knowledge and outcomes, including the potential of having viable, sustainable businesses before high school graduation. Criteria for judging is based on the social entrepreneur’s demonstration of research and development, critical thinking and decision-making expertise in developing sustainable businesses that improve one or more of seven community-wellbeing outcomes: 1) Financial, 2) Employment, 3) Education, 4) Health, 5) Ecosystem, 6) Public Safety, and 7) Sense of Community.

Schedule

 9:00 – 9:15  Welcome – Jan McDonald, Executive Director, Rochester Roots, Inc.

- Introduction to Judges & Overview of Judging Criteria -

 9:15 – 10:05  Judges preview SEE Entrepreneur businesses 

10:10 – 10:20  Zadiel’s Soapmaking– ZadielPedraza

10:25 – 10:35  J.J.’s Healthy Lunch – Jah’ZeirJordan 

10:40 – 10:50  Eriq’s Carpet Co. – EriqJones 

10:55 – 11:05   Arctic Wolf Ecosystem Game – Isabella Viera  

11:10 – 11:20  Robot Works – Zane Corria& Nori Bellucci-Mattice  

11:25 – 11:35  A’s Water Source – Ava Corria

  -15 Minute Break -

11:50 – 12:00  Pedraza Woodworkers – Gadiel Pedraza 

12:05 – 12:15  Artemotion– Khiara Baldwin 

12:20 – 12:30  Bunny World Game – Blythe Fisher

12:35 – 12:45  Joey’s Filming Co. – Joey Gregoire

12:50 – 1:00  The Balm! Lip Balm – Rachel Gregoire

1:05 – 1:15  A & A’s Catering – AreanaSoto & Allana Jackson 

  -Lunch–

1:15 -2:15  Judges meet to determine wellbeing awards 

Public votes on Lakeshore Elementary School & Montessori Academy entrepreneur projects

Lakeshore Elementary School Projects – Located in Learning Garden (west side of school)

•Hunger & Homelessness Garden 

•Beneficial Insect Habitat

•Cafeteria & Cardboard Compost System 

•Magical Garden

 2:15 – 3:00  Wellbeing award announcements by Judges

Judges

Ecosystem – Donald S. Sweet, CEO, Sustainable Intelligence, LLC

Education – Monica Sullivan-Smith, Founder, Montessori Intervention Programs, Educateurs sans Frontiéres

Employment – Clark Hochgraf, Associate Professor, Dept. of Electrical, Computing & Communications Engineering Technology, RIT

Financial – Ira S. Miller, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley

Health – David Margolis, Research Associate, Brown University School of Public Health

Public Safety – Thomas P. Seager, Associate Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering & the Built Environment, Arizona State University

Sense of Community – Sarah Brownell, Lecturer, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, RIT

The SEE game development is funded through the generous support of the Farash Foundation and managed by Ben Sawyer, Co-Founder of Digitalmill.

Rochester Roots, Inc. is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2015-33800-23983 and the generous in-kind and matching donations from foundations, organizations, businesses and individuals like YOU.

MEDIA INQUIRIES & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Jan McDonald, Executive Director

[email protected]

(585) 802-0843