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Program Pitch

The Program Pitch should convey a thorough picture of the EAST program, including the effectiveness of teamwork, collaboration with community clients/partners, and evidence of sophisticated project development and use of technology.

Time

Each student team will have 10 minutes with the judges. The pitch is recommended to be 5-7 minutes, and the remaining time is used for questions and answers (Q&A) from the judges. If the presenter(s) feels confident all information has been shared before the 10-minute limit concludes, the judges may continue to the next booth.

Be Considerate/Quiet Zone

Presenting on behalf of your program in front of judges is critical. To give every team the best opportunity to shine, please help provide the best possible environment for judging.

  • Give the student presentation team plenty of time to themselves in the booth to practice.
  • Ask parents, other students, administrators, and facilitators not to “hover” around the booth during the presentation. It distracts the students and judges.
  • No videotaping or photographing the presentation. It can be intimidating and is not permitted.
  • Be mindful of where the judges are in your aisle. If they are nearby, keep conversation, noise, and distractions to a minimum. Your team deserves this respect, so please give it to others.
  • A Quiet Zone will be implemented during the Conference Showcase on Wednesday. Music or sound is ONLY allowed if you are presenting to the judges. If displaying projects with sound during this time, please provide headphones to your visitors.
Judging Times

Creating an Effective Pitch

The key to an effective program pitch is to provide evidence in both your pitch and booth design that your EAST program is striving to accomplish the goals and standards of EAST. Evidence can include reference letters from clients/partners, press releases, newsletter articles, photos, videos, posters, project plans or summaries, examples of technology skills, problem-solving strategies, project binders, awards received, student testimonials, and any other elements which demonstrate the impact of your program.

Program Pitch Guidelines & Questions to Consider Suggestions for an Effective Pitch

Judges Considerations

The judges will evaluate the pitch, including the effectiveness of the students’ presentation skills. They will consider confidence, relevance, and knowledge of the information being presented and the overall quality of the delivery.

The judges will be using the CART model for projects, as well as the growth model, as guides. Pitches should communicate these areas but without drawing obvious attraction. The pitch should flow seamlessly through the processes as students illustrate details of the projects and student engagement.

EAST Conference Showcase Presentation Feedback

The judges will provide feedback to the programs they review in the following areas:

  • Booth design based on the rubric
  • Positive project observations
  • Practical project advice
  • Notes on the Program Pitch presentation

Judges' Choice Awards

Each group of judges will review several programs. Each group of judges will have the opportunity to select one of the programs they viewed for their Judges' Choice Award. The judges will be given no set criteria. They will only be told to select the school that impressed them the most. Recipients will be announced during the Closing Session.