School District No. 35

From motorized trucks to model planes, pet rocks, obstacle-sensing canes and more, there was no shortage of creative projects on display at this week’s I.D.E.A. Summit, which was held Tuesday at the Langley Events Centre’s Fieldhouse.

Starting in the morning, elementary and middle school entrepreneurs set up booths where they marketed and sold their creations. As in previous years, students were encouraged to design products that used upcycled materials. This time, those recycled materials included scrap cardboard, old books, popsicle sticks and more.

This year, marketplace booths sold art – from hand-painted jars and crystallized books – as well as toys, terrariums, decorative Tiki huts and jewelry, among other items. Hundreds of elementary students from across the District visited the marketplace, excited to spend a few dollars and bring home a fun, upcycled treasure.

“The vibe is electric, without a doubt. It is energy-filled, kids are super excited to be there, families are excited – they’ve been working super hard to support their child, as well,” said District Principal Kendra Simonetto.

As altruism is a key factor in the event – it’s what the ‘A’ stands for in the I.D.E.A. Summit name – each marketplace seller donated 10 percent of their profits to a charity or non-profit of their choice.

Again this year, business people from the community served as mentors at the event, and spent time chatting with the young entrepreneurs about their products, business plans, and challenges they faced along the way. In addition to members of the business community volunteering their time, the event was also made possible thanks to the Langley School District Foundation and many community sponsors.

In the afternoon, awards were handed out for top product pitches, best booth design, most innovative idea and more.

“It’s just truly a celebration of student learning,” Simonetto said. “It’s students thinking, creating and being innovative, and it’s really inspiring.”

The two Outstanding Idea Awards went to Noah Chen (K-5) and Jisha Agarwal (Grade 6-8). Chen created and sold motorized trucks, boats and tank toys, while Agarwal created a prototype of a cane that can sense obstacles in the way of the person holding it.

Other I.D.E.A. Summit Awards that were handed out included Top Pitch Awards, which went to Kingston McLelland (K-5) from Langley Fundamental Elementary, and Eliot Sykes from James Kennedy Elementary (Grades 6-8). Sykes also won the award for Most Innovative Product, for his ‘Mystery Pet Rocks.’

The Outstanding Engagement with Consumers Award was given to Weston Matterson from Langley Fundamental Elementary, while the Best Business Plan was awarded to Belmont Elementary’s Connor Valyear. The award for Best Booth Design went to Celeste Fivaz from Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary for her display of terrariums.

Also at this year’s I.D.E.A. Summit were all seven teams that will be competing at the IDEA X Challenge, which will be held May 29 at the Langley Events Centre. This year, IDEA X Teams – which are made up of mostly secondary students – were tasked with coming up with a creative solution to the following prompt: Design a culturally sensitive and environmentally responsible solution to reduce human-caused wildfires in the Harrison Lake area, while minimizing negative impacts on First Nations cultural practices, ecosystems, and wildlife.

At Tuesday’s event, IDEA X teams were able to preview their projects for younger students and District staff, alike.

For photos from this year’s Summit, check out the slideshow below: