(inspiring ceremonious music) This is more than an odd plastic widget.

It's the beginning of ideas for teenagers and maybe even some older folks.

(inspiring ceremonious music) (film tape winding up) Welcome to INVENTURE Day, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and 4-H started this jam-packed, high-energy statewide program to get middle school students thinking about entrepreneurship.

It's like a field day experience for them to come and experience what it's like to maybe be an entrepreneur.

So they are given the task of creating a product around a widget, an everyday item, and they create a product that solves a problem.

Throughout the day, teams of seventh graders from four schools go through a series of steps to create something from that widget.

We thought, "Hey, surely the 'What If' team is also up to the challenge, right?"

(Justin) Watch your face.

(Emily and Mike laugh) -There you go- -So to demonstrate a little more of how this works, Tanya and Holli led us through an abbreviated version a day earlier.

(Mike) So you're making an assumption we can actually agree on something?

Yes, you're gonna have -to agree.

-(What If Team laughs) Mm-hmm.

-(Justin) Oh, we're doomed.

-Okay.

We'll show you both adventure journeys throughout the story.

If you had to predict how a bunch of people further along in their years would do versus the junior high kids, do we have a chance?

I will be interested to see how this turns out.

(Tanya laughing) (teens speaking over each other) I'd be an engineer designer- It starts with each team figuring out who will be project manager, and other roles.

Then comes the mysterious widget.

[Student] It looks like an air filter.

[Tanya] We might know what it is, but some of that they don't know.

Important, because the idea is to think outside the box.

[Student] Yeah, clock's too basic.

[Mike] Can I ask you guys what you came up with?

It's like a clothing hanger, thing... A dog collar.

-A what?

-A dog collar.

A dog collar.

Why do you think it's smooth on the outside and has all the little ridges?

-What do you think- -For support.

These holes... Support?

Okay.

Throughout the day, students work- -Type of air filter- -With an adult mentor.

Like you had talked about.

-Yeah.

-You could also sell it to somebody that does something along the lines of, like, kitchen, recreation or, like, design.

Does that make sense?

I guess.

The ideas that they come up with, it's awesome to watch these kids learn and grow, but also giving them, like, "Okay, maybe not quite that, but let's go this direction with it because this is kind of more a real-world interpretation."

-(wheel screeches) -(wind whooshes) My first thought when I saw it looked like a coin counter or something like that.

-(wind whooshes) -A really elaborate can coaster.

Coaster rings is a real problem.

(all laugh) -So- -Spun it behind light.

Would that maybe project something?

Yeah, I'm like, "My cat would love this."

-A cat toy.

-Yeah.

What is that supposed to be?

Well, I was starting to draw a cat, but I now realized I don't know how to draw a cat.

-(Emily and Mike laugh) -Your cat'... -What, what?

-(Emily and Mike laughing) -Yeah.

-The whiskers come out.

-All right- -Well, you draw a cat.

We are getting off task.

(Mike laughs) -As the project manager- -So...

I say we need to refocus.

-(wind whooshes) -It looks like a filter of some kind.

-You think?

-You'd put coffee grounds...

I'm not the engineer.

-Oh, what?

-(all laugh except Justin) Oh boy.

Could it be a multipurpose camping thing that you could start fires with it, right?

-Mm-hmm.

-Ooh.

But then you could also use it as a filter.

-Narrow it down to one.

-Do we lose the cat toy idea?

-Yeah.

-I'd hate to, with my drawing.

-It is a masterpiece.

-Well, I mean, it doesn't even have ears.

I think just on the drawings alone, we need to eliminate the cat toy.

Let's go with portable camping ring light... -(upbeat music) -Oh boy.

-For cats.

-Oh boy.

These kids are gonna make us look so stupid.

-(Emily laughs) -Oh, we're already done... -(wheel screeches) -(wind whooshes) What were some things that made these brands stand out?

The students learn about target markets, finance, and branding in a series of stations.

So our eight pack of battery batteries' -actual price was $7.88.

-Oh.

Okay?

$7.88.

You're gonna take all that information and you're gonna start creating your quick pitch.

Our inspiration was the show "Shark Tank."

30 minutes to create a two-minute presentation.

This pitch will decide the winning idea, winning team.

Who's gonna buy our product?

Who are we trying to sell this to?

-Solve bad angles- -Oh my gosh, that looks so good.

Or if only one person is gonna talk, you can do that.

That's like a basic model, and we'll show how it works on the inside.

Can I interrupt you guys for a quick second?

Okay.

Tell me what your thing is.

A cabinet that lowers down to the height so that you can reach it.

So, on a pulley system, that goes down on a remote so that you can... You don't have to use step stools.

You guys can have a good presentation?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Hopefully.

-Hopefully.

-(wheel screeches) -(wind whooshes) So what are we calling it first?

Have we established what it does?

Do we even know what it does yet?

We're already... We're into branding and naming it, but we don't know what it does.

I think we've gotta go with just the generic camping tool and get it branded.

Well, let's go with Adventure Wheel.

Figure out what price you are gonna sell it for.

I'm gonna say 9 to 12.

-You're in charge, you can- -You're right, -I am.

-Whatever you want.

I'm putting a range.

-Okay.

-We're gonna have you create a pitch.

Somebody's gonna be fumbling through a backpack trying to find their flint, filters.

We gotta make our logo.

Feel like there should be like a little flame.

Put whiskers on it.

-(Tanya laughs) -You have just a couple more minutes.

-Oh no.

(chuckles) -Okay, speed round.

I'm working on it!

A or D, D, D. -My God... -(Emily chuckles) A. I still like my cat drawing (cat meows) -(wind whooshes) -(Wheel screeches) [Justin] Now the moment of truth for everyone, including us.

(all applauding and cheering) The Adventure Wheel.

It's a water filter, it's a light holder, and it's a coaster, all in one.

And for the low, low price of only 11.99, this makes a great stocking stuffer for your camper, friends, and family.

It's not an adventure without the Adventure Wheel.

-Yeah!

-(all applaud) Our product is called Smog Atmosphere Technology Space Systems.

It is made out of plastic and it comes in three different colors.

The Multi-Spin is for anyone that likes to be organized.

Team number nine.

(all applaud and cheer) Have you ever got a fork out of the dishwasher just to find out there's still food stuff within the prongs?

Yuck!

(all applauding and cheering) Do you ever wonder what your dog does in the day and just hate having to kennel them away?

Well, now you don't have to.

With Dogged Up, you dig it, we dog it.

Do you have any questions?

-(wind whooshes) -Make your way up here, team number 11.

(all applaud and cheer) Have you ever had trouble reaching your cabinets?

-Mm-hmm.

-If you do Our product is for you.

Our product, Wheeliez, is designed for adjusting your cabinet height easily without taking up any counter space.

It is hidden behind the cabinets so it's not visible to you or the guests you may have.

You buy and customize your own cabinets, and we come and install the whole Wheeliez package.

The whole shabang.

(all applaud and cheer) So are you their first customer?

Yeah.

(laughs) Drum roll, please.

(children banging) -Team number 11.

-Whoo!

Team number 11, come on up to receive your prize.

Tell me what you thought about doing this activity all day.

It was fun to get to invent something and design something.

I thought it was fun just to be, like, creative and stuff.

I thought it was fun.

We got out of school, so... (Mike laughs) From nothing to business idea in a jam-packed five hours.

The INVENTURE Day folks have been doing this throughout the state since 2017, with more than 600 students participating each year.

Is this unusual?

Are there other places around the country that do something like this?

[Tanya] Not to my knowledge, no.

What's the big-picture thing you hope to accomplish by doing this?

So I think it's really important that kids just learn that they can be entrepreneurs at any age.

I think it's also important to learn that an entrepreneur doesn't have to be just a business owner.

This can happen for them.

They don't have to wait to be adults to be an entrepreneur, or to start a business.

They can start right now.

They get the ideas and they're like, "I'm gonna run with this," and that's awesome.

It's awesome to see the ability to just go with it and make it work.

The best part is just the kids themselves.

The creativity that they have, their imagination, the teamwork, and they're so happy and confident at the end of the day after they've created their product.

-Good piece.

-But what about the Adventure Wheel?

I thought it was a cool idea.

-I'd buy an Adventure Wheel.

-Maybe, yeah.

-I would too.

-Looked kinda cool.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

You guys are being nice.

You don't have to be that nice.

Everything else is too expensive.

Like ours?

-Yeah.

-Like ours.

Like ours.

-(Wheel screeches) -(wind whooshes) What was the highlight of everything you did?

What was the highlight?

Teaching Mike how to draw a cat, I think is what we should take away from this.

I've never learned.

Just getting to bounce ideas off with these guys who I work with all the time, in kind of a- -Mm-hmm.

-Different capacity.

I think it's a valuable lesson in thinking quickly, on your feet, and trying to problem solve.

In all seriousness, this is kind of what we do.

So to be able to do it in a different atmosphere -is kinda fun.

-Yeah.

Does the therapy come later -or... -Yeah.

(all laugh) (bouncy inquisitive music) (cat screeches)