From a pool of 105 teams--representing 28 secondary schools in Luxembourg--15 finalists took part in the “mini-entreprises” competition run by the nonprofit Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg on 23 May. Some 200 people were in attendance behind a jury made up of professionals from the worlds of work and education.
First prize went to Letz Guess, from the Lycée des Arts et Métiers. This free online game asks questions about Luxembourg in four languages (French, German, English and Luxembourgish) to help people discover the country “in a fun way.” The aim is to introduce everyone to Luxembourg’s past and present.
The Letz Guess team comprises six students from an IT class, who were helped by their teachers and mentors throughout the year. This team will represent Luxembourg at the JA European Company of the Year Competition, taking place in Catania (Italy) on 2-4 July 2024 as part of the .
Another Lycée des Arts et Métiers team won second prize with Grillsquare, a portable, practical and environmentally-friendly barbecue grill. Photo: Lycée des arts et métiers
Second prize went to Grillsquare, a team from the same school that has designed a lightweight, practical grill for outdoor cooking to “simplify grilling on-the-go.” The grill has just seven pieces, fits together like a jigsaw puzzle and, once dismantled, is stored in a compact 2.5cm-high lid (about the size of a laptop).
Third prize went to Ecoffee, from the Lycée Aline Mayrisch, which offers a more sustainable and healthier lupin coffee. “This coffee has a considerable number of benefits compared to traditional coffee, as it is grown in Europe and reproduces itself.”
About the programme
Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg’s “mini-enterprises” programme enables students aged 16-19 to turn an idea into a commercial reality. Participants are accompanied by teachers and professional coaches to discover their talents and develop their entrepreneurial spirit. “In this way, the mini-company programme leads to a break with the traditional image of courses: students, normally passive receivers of information, become actors in their own projects throughout the school year.”
This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.