The Dragons Den is returning to Drumheller's Greentree School for a fifth year.![]()
It's based on the popular television show that sees entrepreneurs pitch their product ideas to a team of investors as they look for start-up money.
"It's part of our 'Wheels and Levers' science unit," explained Grade 4 teacher, Stephanie Koller. "The students are challenged to create an invention that makes work easier and maybe solves an everyday problem and uses simple machines like wheels, levers, axles, pulleys, things like that."
"I think every year there's no way they're going to top the year before and every year I'm blown away all over again," she confided. "I love how they take what they're interested in, it really shows their personalities."
The top finishers from an in-class contest get to face a panel of celebrity 'dragons' who will judge their projects based on originality, workmanship and how they use simple machines to get the job done. This year's panel will include a couple of Drumheller Dragons junior hockey players, making for a real Dragons Den.
"I always have a wealth of really awesome examples I can talk to the students about," added Koller. "Now I'm starting to get young siblings (saying) 'Yeah, I remember my brother (or) my sister did that' and they have that mentality where they want to beat their brother or sister and do even better."
This year's Greentree School Dragons Den is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2 starting at 9:30 a.m. We'll have the results following the competition on 99.5 Drum FM and drumhelleronline.com.