Throughout this year, Cherie Powell’s Business Incubator students have collaborating to make products that will better the lives of people, both in the school and in the community. Business incubator encourages students to think outside the box, as though they are creating a business.

By providing mentors and connections throughout the process, Powell better equips students with the knowledge to succeed. Coming up with a product idea is only step number one, because the students then have to find ways to advertise their product to their consumers.

Powell said, “From development to sales, the projects take a full school year to complete.” Students Liam Ocker, Alli Frick, Jonathan Miller and Austin Walter are creating products to better their own lives and the lives of others.

Ocker and Frick are working on a college scholarship website for high school students, 15-19, and freshmen in college. Ocker said, “[Our website solves the problem of] being able to find scholarships.”

From doing interviews on other students, Ocker and Frick learned what features their website could have to attract their audience. Frick said, “Our idea behind this website was how can we improve our school?”

Miller and Walter’s product idea is a hot tub cover protector, which originated from Miller’s own experiences with having to change his family’s hot tub cover.

The hot tub cover protector will, “protect the cover against weather and sun, keep the cover from wear and tear, and extend the life of the hot tub cover,” Walter said.

Business Incubator is a class for students who “want to see what it’s like to start a business and run it successfully,” said Miller.