WVU Extension Young Innovators program offered at 13 sites in second year

West Virginia University Extension is launching the second year of its Young Innovators program at 13 rural sites in West Virginia, expanding participation to students in Logan and Clay Counties for the 2026-27 school year. The program pairs middle and high school students with teachers, WVU Extension experts and community mentors to develop, pitch, and put their ideas into action in their home communities.

Throughout the school year, Young Innovators students will identify community assets and opportunities, develop ideas and work in teams to move their innovative ideas forward. Students will then pitch their ideas on stage at the Young Innovators Summit, a youth entrepreneurship conference on October 27-29 in Summersville, West Virginia, where teams will compete for funding to bring their creative ideas to life.

The Young Innovators curriculum guides students through a process of identifying and building on community assets while developing skills in entrepreneurship, teamwork, problem- solving and other valuable workforce areas.

“When students start looking at their communities for what’s possible and not just what’s missing, it changes the way they see both their community and themselves. They realize that they have a role in making things better,” Margaret Taylor, WVU Extension Young Innovators program manager, said.

This program prepares students to lead, innovate and thrive in the world of entrepreneurship. Whether they have dreams of launching a startup, solving a local challenge in their community, or just want to explore new ideas, the Young Innovators program empowers students to grow with purpose. Teachers who participated in the program’s first year could already see this impact on their students.

“Young Innovators has shown my students that their ideas have value and that they have the ability to make a real difference in the world around them. What started as an idea in the classroom became an opportunity for them to solve a real problem, promote their community and represent our school on a much larger stage,” Chris Roberson, Mingo Central High School teacher, said.

At Ben Franklin Career Center in Kanawha County, Megan Bays said the program gave her students opportunities that they may never have had otherwise.

“Young Innovators allowed my students to step outside their comfort zones, take charge of their ideas, and stand up in front of their peers and industry professionals to proudly share what they had created,” Bays said.

Students receive support throughout the year from trained teachers, WVU Extension faculty and staff and community mentors, focusing on interactive sessions that emphasize teamwork and collaboration.

Young Innovators programs will be held at 15 sites in the 2026-2027 program year. These include Brooke High School, Braxton County High School, Braxton County Middle School, Clay County Middle School, Ripley High School, Ripley Middle School, Ben Franklin Career Center, Lincoln County High School, Guyan Valley Middle School, Chapmanville Middle School, John Marshall High School, Moundsville Middle School, and Mingo Central High School.

The 2026-2027 Young Innovators program is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Verizon, with additional support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The contributions for these initiatives were made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.

Program partners include the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, West Virginia Small Business Development Center and the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative. WVU Extension thanks its sponsors and partners for their continued investment in sustaining entrepreneurship within West Virginia and providing unique experiences for students.

Visit the program’s website for more information or to donate to the Young Innovators program.

If you want to learn more about WVU Extension, visit extension.wvu.edu or follow @WVUExtension on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.   

-WVU-

hb/09/16/2026