The DASH Program
A 12-Week Innovative Design + Entrepreneurship Program for Youth.
✔ Build a real prototype
✔ Pitch it publicly
✔ Compete for funding and prizes
WHAT STUDENTS WALK AWAY WITH
We’re looking for students in Salida who are excited to get hands-on entrepreneurial and business experience.
✴ A real prototype of a product or service
✴ Public pitch experience
✴ Opportunity to win funding and prizes
✴ Mentor support throughout
✴ Confidence presenting and leading
How it Works
01/ Identify a challenge or idea you want to build
02/ Design + prototype a solution
03/ Test and refine with feedback
04/ Pitch at The Big Pitch for funding and prizes
What to expect
Design Thinking and Innovative Challenges
Mentor Meetings
Feedback between sessions
FOR STUDENTS
Are you a motivated student ready to create, build and lead?
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Develop a real business or solution to a community challenge using design thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship tools.
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Mentorship, hands on experience, and the chance to pitch your idea for real feedback and potential funding at The Big Pitch.
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Students participate in up to 2 hours of weekly class time to develop and test a business idea, plus one-on-one mentoring to refine their concept or address a community challenge. The program culminates in The Big Pitch, where students present a 5-minute investor-ready pitch to local business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and community members.
Where Ideas Take Shape
Check out what a couple of our Spring 2026 DASH Cohort Students created!
FOR PARENTS
Real World Skills. Confidence. A Future They Can Build Locally.
Junior Edison is designed to give students more than just knowledge, it gives them the confidence and capability to apply what they learn in meaningful ways.
Through mentorship, project based learning, and real world application, students develop:
✔ Critical thinking and problem solving skills
✔ Communication and presentation confidence
✔ Entrepreneurial mindset and initiative
✔ Collaboration and leadership abilities
✔ Exposure to career pathways and local opportunities
Students work closely with experienced mentors and community members while building projects that address real challenges. The program culminates in The Big Pitch, where students present their ideas to local leaders and receive authentic feedback.
Our long term vision is to help students see a future for themselves in Chaffee County, whether that means launching a business, contributing to the local economy, or pursuing meaningful work rooted in community.
Junior Edison helps students not only prepare for the future, but start building it now.
Summer Innovation in Action
In-person and virtual field trips
✔ Meet real innovators
✔ Hands-on activity inspired by the experience
✔ Discover what’s possible in Salida and beyond