The Big Pitch: Fifth Grade Shark Tank

Impact: Shared experience for all Rann through Leadership Program

Fifth grade is a pivotal time in a child’s development. Students are beginning to define who they are, how they relate to others, and what leadership means in practice. Our project, “The Big Pitch: Fifth Grade Shark Tank,” is designed to capture this critical stage by giving students the tools, opportunities, and confidence to step into leadership roles in a hands-on, memorable way. At our school, we intentionally grow young leaders through resources such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which provides a strong foundation of leadership principles. The Shark Tank project builds on that foundation by giving students the chance to apply those habits in action. In this program, 5th Grade leaders will collaborate to identify a problem on campus, design a creative solution, and pitch their idea in a Shark Tank–style event. The core idea is simple but powerful: students practice habits like Synergize and Think Win-Win as they work together to solve authentic campus challenges. By combining structured leadership learning with project-based application, the Shark Tank engages students not only as learners but as doers. It is an innovative program that builds essential 21st-century skills (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability) while giving students a platform to influence positive change at their school.