Students in the year-long INCubatoredu class will develop a product from conception to creation. Mentors consist of community partners that come in and direct students throughout the planning process.

INCubatoredu teacher Lauren Denning said the meet and greet was an opportunity for students to get feedback on their initial ideas.

“They discussed things that we have talked about so far,” Denning said. “What was the problem they’re trying to solve? Who was their potential customer? Who are the competitors? What is our product and how is it different? They gave us great feedback and dialogue to really get the students thinking deeper about products and things that will come up down the line.”

Denning said that the student groups had six back-to-back pitches for each of the community mentors.

“Watching their confidence grow as they presented was amazing,” Denning said. “You could see them implement feedback they got immediately in their next presentation.”

Denning said that the products and ideas her students have come up with this year are outstanding.

“We’ve got some great products and ideas this year,” Denning said. “We’ve got a planner app, a checkout app, a foot washer, a package protector, a text converter app, and a plant app. Lots of things can change, and teams may need to pivot once we start conducting interviews and looking more at what their customers really want or need, but they’re all in a great place right now.”

Denning said she thinks that having the real-world presence from the mentors is special for her students to help them understand a business point-of-view.

“We always want our students understanding different perspectives than just us as teachers or other students,” Denning said. “To have that experience of being able to present to adults that are knowledgeable in the process that they are undertaking is so valuable. It gives merit to what they have done and gives them motivation to keep working.”

Denning expressed how proud she is of her students and how she looks forward to what they will accomplish this year.

“These students did a great job representing Frenship High School to the Lubbock community,” Denning said. “I’m so proud of what these students have accomplished already, and I can’t wait to continue to watch them grow in this course.”