Youth Stories
Teens match athletic enthusiasm with entrepreneur mindset to monetize KC sports scene
As young athletes look to monetize their teen sports experiences, two entrepreneurs see openings to turn their passions into businesses.
Free kicks with Great Jobs KC: Students develop 3D-printed soccer tee amid World Cup
“We got the idea from rugby kicking tees,” said Campbell Higgins, a UMKC student participating in the Great Jobs KC program. “We looked at that and asked, ‘How can we improve on it for free kicks?'”
UMKC student-staff duo hopes to scale hydroponic lettuce from ‘six-by-six footprint’ to food insecurity solution
A $730,000 multi-university initiative is helping researchers rethink how food is produced and delivered to improve access to fresh produce across region.
No height limit for entrepreneurship: Kansas nonprofit boosts children’s business literacy
“We look at every child as a leader right now,” said Leah Ellis, founder of The Society of Child Entrepreneurs, “and ask them what they want to see happening in their community today, rather than kicking the can down the road until they’re older or taller.”
Johnson County senior wins Congressional App Challenge with his school workflow workaround
Drake Semchyshyn turned a personal pain point at school into an award-winning app. The Blue Valley West senior created Catalyst — designed to improve students’ academic experience within Canvas, a widely used learning management system — winning the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for Kansas’ Third District. “The Canvas student application basically manages grades, assignments, submissions,…
