Last month, Waynesburg University partnered with The EdVenture Group and the EQT Foundation to host their STEM Days Middle School Pitch Competition, welcoming students from across Greene County to campus for a day of entrepreneurship, innovation and STEM-focused learning.
Building on the success of the 2025 EQT STEM Days Design Thinking Challenges, this year’s competition engaged middle school students in entrepreneurship and design thinking through a hands-on experience that challenged them to develop and pitch original business ideas.
Participating schools hosted their own school-level competitions throughout the spring, with up to three teams from each school advancing to the countywide challenge held at the University. A total of 50 students representing the five county school districts formed 13 teams and presented their ideas before a panel of judges. Teams were evaluated using a scoring rubric, and cash prizes were awarded to the top-performing groups.
The EdVenture Group has partnered with the EQT Foundation since 2018 to provide educational programming for Greene County schools. Previous initiatives have included esports competitions, drone competitions, design thinking workshops and creativity challenges. The 2026 Pitch Challenge was created to further develop students’ creativity, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills while exposing them to entrepreneurial concepts.
This marked the first time the county-level competition was hosted at Waynesburg University.
“Last year, we partnered with The EdVenture Group and visited various middle schools around the county,” said Cassy Dorsch, director of the eHIVE, the University’s entrepreneurial hub. “This year, The EdVenture Group wanted a central location and asked us if we would be interested in hosting the event on campus, so students from all five school districts could attend.
In addition to delivering their pitches, students participated in campus tours and completed hands-on activities in the eHIVE. Students also gathered for lunch in the University’s dining hall before returning for an awards ceremony and winner announcements.
“It was incredibly inspiring to see middle schoolers share their ideas and passion to solve problems in their own communities within Greene County,” Dorsch said. “Our eHIVE program works to foster the Entrepreneurial Leadership mindset and develop problem-solving skills in a variety of ways. This event allowed students to showcase new business ideas that are impactful and meaningful to their communities.”
Jennifer Wotring, senior program manager at The EdVenture Group, was on campus for the event, alongside colleague Casey Patterson, Director of Future Readiness at EdVenture. Wotring praised the students and the partners who helped make the event possible.
“We are truly grateful to the EQT Foundation for its continued investment in the STEM Days program, which makes this work possible,” Wotring said. “We also appreciate the ongoing partnership and support of Waynesburg University and the eHIVE. I was especially impressed by the creativity, innovation and confidence shown in the students’ ideas and pitches. I also extend my appreciation to the Greene County educators whose guidance and support helped make their success possible.”
