Inaugural SmartStart High School Edition empowers innovative potential of high school students in provinces
The Kingdom’s leading mobile operator Smart Axiata on Sunday announced the conclusion of SmartStart High School Edition which aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit among Cambodian high school students while also developing digital and tech related business ideas through workshops, mentorship and field trips.
From Kampong Thom High School, The Last Idea, comprising of four members, was awarded 1,400 USD for their water filtration machine that provides clean water to rural villages, while the runners-up received 800 USD and 200 USD respectively.
Thirty-six high school students from provinces including Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom and Kampong Chhnang took part in the final pitch. Prior to the final competition, 36 finalists from 9 teams took part in a two-days funded field trip in Phnom Penh, where they toured national museums, tech universities and digital startups.
Supported and endorsed by Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Khmer Enterprise, SmartStart High School Edition is one among several initiatives organized by Smart Axiata to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among young people through trainings, hackathons and incubation programs.
Feiruz Ikhwan, Smart Axiata’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, said “At Smart, we are very proud to make our innovation and entrepreneurship curriculum available to high school students outside of Phnom Penh following the success of our flagship programs for university students. Learning the importance of digital and tech entrepreneurship mindset early in life would allow young minds to unlock their potential and fulfil a key role in promoting Cambodia’s development in the future. With support from our partners, Smart will continue to expand the reach and impact of these programs.”
All the finalists presented their business ideas to a panel of judges including Ms. Lim Solinn, CEO and Founder of Saddhā, Strategy & Policy Consulting Enterprise; Mr. Pisethneat Pich, Startup Incubation Lead at Impact Hub Phnom Penh, and Ms. To Kim Eang, Fixed Broadband Partnership Manager at Smart Axiata.
Building on the success of the flagship SmartStart Young Innovator Program, SmartStart High School Edition was launched in 2022 to provide exposure to digital businesses and entrepreneurship for high school students across Cambodia. The program is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of digital entrepreneurship by balancing digital business sessions, entrepreneurship and crucial soft skills while cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset amongst students.
For more information, follow the Smart for Cambodia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smartforcambodia or visit www.smartstart.com.kh