The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute awarded the 2023-24 Community Impact Award to the Davis Catalyst Center. This annual award is sponsored by the Entrepreneur Association and was awarded at the 2024 High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (HSUEC).
The Catalyst Center brings Davis School District students together with local business and industry mentors. The students are immersed in a professional culture where they develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by working in collaborative groups to complete real-world projects while being mentored by industry partners. Students can focus their studies on topics including business and marketing, culinary arts, digital media, computer science, medical assisting, or pharmacy tech.
“The Catalyst Center helps students realize their strengths and passions by exploring and experiencing potential professions,” said Tyler Poll, director of the Davis Catalyst Center. “This is an environment where creative thinking and problem-solving are encouraged. We are giving students authentic, experiential learning experiences, and it is an honor to be recognized for our impact.”
The Entrepreneur Association provides support to entrepreneurship, with a focus on youth. They sponsored this award to celebrate and encourage those in the community who are uplifting youth entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship education and to recognize their impact.
“These educators and community members serve hundreds of youth entrepreneurs, and there’s no real place where they’re recognized for their work,” said Eric Child, a representative from the Entrepreneur Association. “We’re excited to be able to give them the accolades they deserve.”
The Catalyst Center brings Davis School District students together with local business and industry mentors.
The Lassonde Institute invites everyone to help support aspiring entrepreneurs by getting involved in the Lassonde community. Community involvement supports student growth and helps make HSUEC and similar programs thrive and supports student growth.
“Community involvement is crucial to the success of our students and the strength of our entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Anne Bastein, program director at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. “We hope this award inspires the community to continue that support.”
HSUEC is a competition designed to introduce and encourage high school students to explore innovation and entrepreneurship. Winners take home cash and scholarships. HSUEC is the high school version of the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, one of the largest collegiate entrepreneurship competitions in the country. All high school students (or those ages 14-18 years old) throughout Utah may participate. The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and Entrepreneur Association invite everyone to join them in supporting aspiring entrepreneurs.
Learn more about ways to get involved in the Lassonde community at https://lassonde.utah.edu/community.
