The competition is on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University of Central Arkansas McCastlain Ballroom (L A Niven Drive, Conway, AR 72035).

The Accelerate! Teen Pitch  Competition is open to all high school students in Arkansas.

Lunch will be served to all student companies.

Not all applicants will be selected to pitch in the final pitch competition. Finalists selected to advance to the Pitch Round will be notified by Friday, March 9.

Eligible applicants must be enrolled in an Arkansas high school.

Applicants must have 3-minute pitch deck.

Each applicant must have a teacher sponsor.

Only one application per team. Maximum of 3 people per team.

Deadline to apply is Monday, March 5. Pitch decks are due by March 5.

Finalists that are selected to advance to the pitch round will be notified by Friday, March 9.

Arkansas high school students (must have a teacher sponsor).

Your team must have 3 people or less pitching at the event.

No, each person may only pitch one time. If you pitch on more than one team, both teams will be disqualified.

You must be enrolled in an Arkansas high school to participate.

The first, second and third place winners will receive cash prizes.

A teacher from your school must "sponsor" you for this competition. That means he/she must provide their name and email address, and serve as a reference to you for the competition.

We will offer pitch training in Conway and Little Rock prior to the event. The training is not mandatory, but will be helpful in honing your pitch.

The competition is in the McCastlain Ballroom at UCA (L A Niven Drive, Conway, AR 72035).

Any Arkansas high school student may pitch in this competition. If you are not part of the JA My Company Program, you must have a teacher sponsor you for the competition (provide their name and email address and recommend you to compete). Your sponsor does not have to be present at the event. Students under 18 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.

We will provide lunch for all students competing in the Accelerate! Teen Pitch Competition. Students must submit a pitch deck by Monday, March 5. It is recommended that students bring a back-up copy of their pitch deck on a flash drive in case of emergency.

Upload your pitch at https://goo.gl/forms/XnHkj9QpVWPOhWR13.

To be considered for the Accelerate! Teen Pitch Competition, you must upload your presentation by Monday, March 5. You may not make changes to your deck after you've submitted it.

Every contestant will have 3 minutes to pitch. At the end of 3 minutes, you will not be permitted to continue your presentation. The judges will deduct 10 points if students go over the 3-minute time limit.

General attendees may register to watch the competition at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/accelerate-teen-pitch-competition-audience-ticket-tickets-41288952368.

Yes, you must be at the Accelerate! Teen Pitch Competition for the duration of the event to be considered for a prize.

The Conductor, a public-private partnership with the University of Central Arkansas and Startup Junkie Consulting, drives innovation, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in central Arkansas through high-impact programming, one-on-one consulting, commercialization support, talent development and collaboration.

Junior Achievement, founded nationally in 1919, gives young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement of Arkansas was founded in 1987. Our corporate and community volunteers deliver relevant, hands-on experiences in work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy to students from kindergarten through high school. The Accelerate! Teen Pitch Competition is a key event for, though not limited to, Junior Achievement My Company students. The JA My Company program unlocks the innate ability in students to solve a problem or fill a need in their community through an entrepreneurial spirit. For more information on JA's My Company program, please contact Tonya Villines at tvillines@jaark.org.
For more information on Junior Achievement visit www.jaark.org.