Schools may be closed but that didn’t stop NFTE students from refining their business plans and pitches. Three businesses made it to the final round of competition in the 2020 Baltimore Metro Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. Here are the results:

    • Sawyer Ross, age 13, a student at Roland Park Elementary Middle School, took first place with a pitch for MyBox, which provides sick children with a curated box of age-appropriate items to cure worries, provide smile and offer a space for belongings.
    • Douglas Pittman, age 13, and Grace K. Chew, age 15, students at Francis Scott Key Elementary Middle School, took second place with a pitch for Autistic Artistics, which uses artwork and storytelling that informs, entertains and enlightens others about the cognitive and emotional points of view from a child with autism to asure children with autism that they are perfect as they are.
    • Aaron Larson, age 13, a student at Francis Scott Key Elementary Middle School, finished third with a pitch for Aww, Crap!, dog poop bags designed to be easier and more pleasant to use, which will increase the number of people cleaning up after their furry friends.

Sawyer Ross, Douglas Pittman, and Grace Chew, the top finishers, have qualified to compete in Nationals this year. They advance to the quarterfinal rounds in the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge this October.