Differentiate Your School Through Student Entrepreneurship!
Saint Ignatius High School is proud to partner with Saint Joseph Academy as co-hubs of AlphaJump Cleveland! We can help you foster your 6th, 7th and 8th graders into the next generation of entrepreneurs.
AlphaJump! is an exclusive program that teaches middle school students about entrepreneurship from learning how to create and innovate to marketing their business ideas. The program's cutting-edge curriculum, developed by Mr. Dan Hess, '88 makes it easy to implement the program as a class, unit or club.
How does the program work?
- Schools that partner with AlphaJump!-Cleveland co-hubs, Saint Ignatius High School and Saint Joseph Academy, receive access to all the materials necessary to launch and implement the program.
- There are dozens of classroom-tested lessons and more than 50 videos that teach students how to hone their critical-thinking skills and turn their ideas into valuable business propositions.
- Participating students learn fun ways to apply STEAM inventions to formal business pitches.
- With a designated teacher moderator in each grade, students will build and practice the skills necessary to present a business idea to judges.
- Your school hosts its own competition to determine which team advances to Catapult, the final, grand regional competition at which they compete for prize money.
What are the benefits for my students?
- They can win money for their ideas! Catapult first, second and third prize winners are awarded prizes up to $1,000!
- The team who wins your school's competition advances to the AlphaJump! Catapult competition, the final regional "Shark Tank" inspired competition for the school year.
- The event is held at Saint Ignatius High School or Saint Joseph Academy where students from across Northeast Ohio compete and gain valuable feedback from a panel of successful professionals.
- The program teaches students valuable skills to help them bring their ideas new product/service ideas to market. More importantly, it teaches them life skills, including business and critical-thinking skills.
Why participate?
- There is no cost to become an AlphaJump! school. The ‘plug and play’ curriculum can be used in ANY way that fits into your school's schedule (clubs are the most common way).
- Adding the program to your school requires minimal involvement by a faculty or staff member, and can even be implemented by a school parent/guardian or parishioner.
- Conducting a small "shark tank" event can increase community engagement.
- It furthers your school's STEAM initiatives and helps differentiate your school.
- Through both high schools' promotion of the Catapult event, your school could gain valuable publicity.
Additional value for students
- Each school has the opportunity to participate in a regional $100,000 Challenge, an online stock game.
- Students compete against other schools and teams in the area, resulting in cash prizes for the winners.
| 2021 AlphaJump Schools |
| Gesu |
St. Christopher |
| Incarnate Word Academy |
St. Dominic |
| Lakewood Catholic Academy |
St. Gabriel |
| Notre Dame Elementary |
Sts. Joseph & John |
| St. Ambrose |
St. Mary in Chardon |
| St. Angela Merici |
St. Raphael |
| St. Anselm |
Sts. Robert & William |
| St. Benedict |
Seton Catholic |
| St. Bernadette |
The Welsh Academy |
AlphaJump is now used in 16 cities across the US including St. Louis, Buffalo, Nashiville, Atlanta and New York City.
If you are interested in developing an AlphaJump! program at your school, contact Dan Hess '88 at dhess@ignatius.edu for more information.
