Girls’ disaster survival gets top prize

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A disaster survival plan has won a group of Westlake Girls’ High School students the top prize at the 2011 Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) for North Auckland Region.
The team, known as Kids’ Emergency Evacuation Plan (KEEP), won Company of The Year at the Smales Farm Regional Awards for their book teaching primary students tips to survive earthquakes and tsunamis. All the book’s proceeds are donated to the Christchurch earthquake relief fund.
It was a big night for KEEP who beat more than 60 other student companies in the North Auckland Region to claim the top title. The team also won the Batercard Excellence in Communication Award.
While Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development runs the programme in greater Auckland, it is impressed with the calibre of teams this year.
Ngaio Merrick, business development manager – North, says “KEEP epitomises entrepreneurial talents that we want to encourage in the next generation of business people”.
“The team has taken a problem, what to do in a natural disaster, and has produced a practical and compelling solution.”
He says the girls have showed the “professionalism, ambition, drive and business acumen that we would expect in much more experienced business people”.
“The fact that they have used their product to give back to the community is also inspiring.”
KEEP received a surprise $1200 cash prize and will now compete for the NZ title at the national YES awards in Wellington on 1st December 2011.

Photo Caption: THE KEEP TEAM (left to right) Joanne Lim, Shirley Ren, Annalise Lao and Soobin An from Westlake Girls’ High School.