4 Engaging Project Ideas for Your High School Business Course

Business education is more critical than ever in today’s world. Equipping high school students with essential business concepts and skills empowers them for future success, whether they pursue entrepreneurship, join established companies, or simply manage their personal finances. Following the enthusiastic response to our previous post on engaging business activities, we’re excited to share four more dynamic ideas to ignite your students’ passion for business.

1. The Mini-Start-up Challenge

Tap into your students’ entrepreneurial spirit with a mini-start-up challenge. Divide the class into small groups and task them with developing a business idea from concept to pitch. Encourage creativity and guide them through the process of identifying a need, creating a solution, and outlining a basic business plan. This hands-on experience provides a taste of the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

Here’s how to implement the Mini-Start-up Challenge:

1. Brainstorming and Ideation: Begin by brainstorming business ideas as a class or in small groups. Encourage students to think about problems they encounter in their daily lives or identify needs within their communities.
2. Market Research: Once students have a few potential ideas, guide them through conducting basic market research. This could involve online surveys, interviews with potential customers, or competitor analysis.
3. Business Plan Development: Introduce the components of a basic business plan, including an executive summary, company description, market analysis, product or service offering, marketing strategy, and financial projections. Provide templates or resources to help students structure their plans.
4. Prototype or Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Encourage students to create a prototype or MVP of their product or service. This could be a physical model, a digital mock-up, or a basic version of their offering.
5. Pitching and Feedback: Organize a pitch day where each group presents their business idea to the class or a panel of judges (teachers, administrators, or local business professionals). Provide constructive feedback on their presentations and business plans.

2. Big Game Ad Analysis

The Big Game is more than just a football game; it’s a cultural phenomenon with some of the most anticipated and talked-about commercials of the year. Why not leverage this excitement in your classroom? Analyzing Big Game ads provides an engaging way to introduce marketing concepts, discuss target audiences, and explore the strategies behind persuasive messaging.

Here’s how to conduct a Big Game ad analysis:

1. Gather Ads: Use the provided video (Top 10 Big Game Commercials of 2025) or have students select their own favorite ads from the game.
2. Identify Marketing Elements: Guide students to identify key marketing elements within the ads, such as:
   • Target Audience: Who is the ad trying to reach? What are their demographics, interests, and needs?
   • Message and Tone: What is the main message of the ad? What kind of tone or emotion is it trying to convey (humor, inspiration, nostalgia)?
   • Persuasive Techniques: What persuasive techniques are used (celebrity endorsements, emotional appeals, humor, storytelling)?
   • Branding: How does the ad reinforce the brand’s image and values?
   • Call to Action: What does the ad want viewers to do (visit a website, purchase a product, follow on social media)?
3. Facilitate Discussion: Lead a class discussion where students share their observations and analysis of the ads. Encourage them to compare and contrast different approaches and evaluate their effectiveness.
4. Connect to Marketing Concepts: Connect the ad analysis to marketing concepts you’re teaching, such as:
   • Market Segmentation: How do the ads target specific market segments?
   • Marketing Mix (4 P’s): How do the ads address product, price, place, and promotion?
   • Consumer Behavior: What consumer behaviors or motivations are the ads trying to influence?
5. Creative Extensions: Consider having students create their own Big Game ads for a product or service of their choice, applying the concepts they’ve learned.

3. Guest Speaker Series (or Virtual Interviews)

Invite local entrepreneurs or business professionals to share their experiences with your students. Hearing firsthand accounts of challenges overcome and lessons learned can be incredibly inspiring. If in-person visits aren’t feasible, consider virtual interviews or Q&A sessions. This provides valuable real-world insights and expands students’ professional networks.

Here’s how to organize a guest speaker series:

1. Identify Potential Speakers: Reach out to your professional network, local business organizations, or alumni to find guest speakers.
2. Prepare Students: Before the speaker’s visit, provide students with background information on the speaker and their company. Encourage them to prepare thoughtful questions.
3. Facilitate the Session: Create a welcoming environment for the speaker. Introduce them, manage the Q&A session, and ensure a smooth flow of conversation.
4. Follow Up: After the session, have students write thank-you notes to the speaker and reflect on the key takeaways from the presentation.
5. Virtual Options: If in-person visits are challenging, consider virtual interviews or Q&A sessions using video conferencing tools.

4. Community Service Project with a Business Twist

Connect business skills with social responsibility through a community service project. Partner with a local nonprofit organization and challenge your students to develop a fundraising plan, a marketing campaign, or a solution to a business challenge the organization faces. This project not only reinforces business concepts but also instills a sense of civic engagement.

Here’s how to implement a community service project:

1. Identify a Partner Organization: Reach out to local nonprofits and discuss potential projects that align with your students’ skills and interests.
2. Define the Scope: Clearly define the project’s goals, timeline, and deliverables. Ensure the project is manageable within the given time frame.
3. Apply Business Concepts: Encourage students to apply business concepts they’ve learned in class to the project. For example, if developing a marketing campaign, they can utilize their knowledge of target markets, marketing channels, and promotional strategies.
4. Collaborate: Foster collaboration and teamwork among students as they work together to achieve the project’s goals.
5. Reflect and Evaluate: After completing the project, have students reflect on their experience, the challenges they faced, and the impact they made on the community.

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Stukent CTE empowers you to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that prepares students for success in college and careers. Ready to experience the transformative power of Stukent CTE? Try it for free today!