Imagine making a sales pitch similar to Shark Tank or networking with business professionals at 12, 13 or 14 years old. Intimidating. Definitely. For the middle school students at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School it’s something they learn and are eager to show off during the Amazing Shake competition that begins on Wednesday, January 29 and concludes on January 31.
“We really feel that our students need to be prepared for the soft skills that come with becoming an adult.” said Melanie Reardon, a teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes who heads the program. “By teaching our middle schoolers how to have a conversation with an adult, to shake hands properly and to make small talk, we are preparing them for high school, college and beyond. These skills are things we all need in life.”
The Amazing Shake begins on Wednesday with all middle school students participating in “The Gauntlet” round. Here students will rotate through 15 stations ranging from making small talk, to eating etiquette, to more elaborate skills such as making a sales pitch. The top 20 students move on to Round 2 “The Work Room” where students will interact with 15 business professionals from the community. From this round, the top 10 will advance to an Interview round. The students will interview for a job at a fictional company. They will be judged by 5 members of the community. The top 3 will advance to the final round, lunch at a restaurant with 2 business professionals.
The Amazing Shake is a program that started at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, GA. For more information on the Amazing Shake click here.
