You Don't Want to Miss It!
This semester, CBA’s sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students have drawn on a rich foundation of learning to bring their Shark Tank projects to life. Throughout the semester students explored the Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific Revolution—not just as historical events, but as moments when individuals used their knowledge and creativity to impact the world. Through these studies, students practiced critical observation, respectful debate, writing structured arguments, and reflecting on the purpose of discovery itself. In reading Robinson Crusoe and studying figures like Nathaniel Bowditch, students considered how deep learning, when paired with a heart to serve, can truly make a difference. These themes carried into their project, where students identified real problems and developed innovative solutions, using their knowledge of rhetorical appeals, compelling communication, and thoughtful design to craft persuasive pitches and create visual presentations that align with their product’s purpose.
Students pitched their ideas to a panel of “sharks” and received feedback from professionals who have pitched their own ideas, secured federal funding, and used AI and other resources at their disposal to solve real needs. While students practiced communication, creativity, and collaboration, our deep hope is that their hearts are being shaped even more than their skills. We pray they come to see all their learning and talents as gifts from God, meant to be given away in love for others. As they look ahead to high school, we hope this project encourages them to pursue specialized fields—whether in science, technology, business, design, or the arts—so that they are equipped with even more knowledge and skills to offer and are better positioned to meet the needs of the world with purpose, compassion, and joy.
