By Valerie Ryan and Peyton Fletcher
First-year high school students step out on stage, holding their head in their hands, hoping to not make contact with any staring eyes. Despite the audience being filled with big smiles and supportive applause, the students can’t seem to feel comfortable.
Fast forward a few years later, those same students proudly walk out, with their heads held high, and their voice filling the room with confidence and power.
Lafayette International High School, located on the corner of Lafayette Avenue and Baynes Street, is the home of education for refugees and non-native speakers who have been in the United States for two years or less.
Lafayette holds a Saturday Academy, where students from various schools in the area can come and receive assistance in different school-related subjects.
This led to the development of Think Tank in 2017 at Lafayette, with the help of partnerships from Westminster Economic Development Initiative, Say Yes Buffalo, West Side Promise Neighborhood and the Rich Family Foundation. It's another program that meets at Lafayette every Saturday.
Thalia Rodriguez, the associate director of the West Side Promise Neighborhood, wanted to support entrepreneurialism in minority groups, but also pay them.
The project begins in January and ends in June.
“We spend the fall semester talking with them and identifying what students within each grade level will compete. We started preparing them for their business ideas. Then they have an internal competition, 9th graders versus 9th graders, 10th graders versus 10th graders, where they determine who amongst their class will go and compete at the school level,” Rodriguez said.
In 2020, Think Tank was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time in two years the students will be able to present their business ideas.
All grades are welcome to participate in Think Tank and can continue being a part of the program until they graduate.
“The first prize winner this year is getting $500 cash, second prize winner is getting $400 cash, and then everyone gets a piece of technology. Everyone leaves with a laptop or tablet,” Rodriguez said.
Steven Pantoja is a business teacher at Lafayette, in addition to being a facilitator for Think Tank. Pantoja says he loves looking back at pictures of his students in ninth grade when they first step up on stage, holding their heads in embarrassment, as they present for a panel of judges.
“Then fast forward a couple years and they're jumping on stage and just commanding their presence,” Pantoja said.
Think Tank is a program designed not only to help students bring their business ideas to life, but also an aid to educate and prepare students for higher education.
“As instructors we help them and support them with their business ideas. We walk them through the business plan, slogan, mission statement, marketing plan, some of the financials. It comes together really nicely, and the kids learn throughout that process,” Pantoja said.
Jacques Atel, an 11th grader at Lafayette, is a current participant in Think Tank and says he believes it's a great program to prepare you for the future and to learn how to start a business after graduation.
“I don’t know if they have this in other schools, but they should have it if they don’t,” Atel said.
