Disaster survival wins award for enterprising students

Westlake Girls’ High School students claimed the top prize at the 2011 Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme for North Auckland Region.

The team of, known as Kids’ Emergency Evacuation Plan (KEEP), won Company of The Year at the Smales Farm Regional Awards for their book teaching primary school students tips to survive earthquakes and tsunamis. All the book’s proceeds are donated to the Christchurch earthquake relief fund.

It was a big night for KEEP who beat more than 60 other student companies in the North Auckland Region to claim the top title and also won the Batercard Excellence in Communication Award. The student company’s managing director, Shirley Ren, also won the Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

More than 150 people attended the regional awards at the Bruce Mason Centre to mark the end of the nationwide school-based programme for 2011.

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, which runs the programme in north, central and south Auckland, is delighted with the calibre of teams this year.

“KEEP epitomises entrepreneurial talents that we want to encourage in the next generation of business people. The team has taken a problem, like what to do in a natural disaster, and has produced a practical and compelling solution, “says Ngaio Merrick, Manager Business Development – North.

“Throughout the year this team has displayed the professionalism, ambition, drive and business acumen that we would expect in much more experienced business people. The fact that they have used their product to give back to the community is also inspiring.”

A surprise announcement on the night sees I3Dee from Westlake Boys’ High School with its innovative clip-on 3D glasses for spectacle wearers joining the Regional Company of the Year winner attending the National Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme awards.

Bill Smale, Smales Farm director and major sponsor of the regional awards, presented KEEP from Westlake Girls High School with a surprise cash prize of $1200, and the Company of the year Runner Up; Spectra Glow Apparel from Westklake Boys High School received $800

The top company title is not the first regional recognition for the KEEP, who also claimed the YES Oral Business Presentation Final earlier this year.

KEEP will now compete for the New Zealand title at the national Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme Awards in Wellington on December 1st, 2011.

Award winners
Company of the year
KEEP, Westlake Girls’ High School

Company of the Year Runner Up
Spectra Glow Apparel Westlake Boys’ High School

Excellence in Production Award
CreatNZ , Youngs College

Young Female Entrepreneur
Shirley Ren, Westlake Girls’ High School

Young Male Entrepreneur
Ben Reynolds, Westlake Boys

Communication Award
CreatioNZ, Young’s College
rebound, Westlake Girls High School
K.E.E.P (Kids Emergency Evacuation Plan), Westlake Girls’ High School
I3Dee, Westlake Boys’ High School
Spectra, Westlake Boys’ High School
Aim+, Takapuna Grammar School

Personal Development Award
Channel Flyger Orewa College
Problem Solving Award
Spectra Glow Apparel Westlake Boys’ High School

Excellence in Financial Management
Business As Usual Kingsway College
Excellence in Presentation Award
KEEP Westlake Girls College

Ends

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