Every summer since 2013, GSE Summer Startup invites approximately 100 high school students to spent three weeks of their summer studying entrepreneurship. They are placed into random groups and challenged to create a product, business model, and pitch using their newfound knowledge. They learn that being an entrepreneur is less about selling products, and more about solving problems. According to President & CEO Anne Jewell, they aren't just kids or high schoolers, they're entrepreneurs the moment they walk through the doors on the first day, or "Es."

The first week is spent identifying over 100 problems each group wants to solve. By the second week, they've narrowed down their list to one issue each group member is equally passionate about and begin developing their solution. Week three is spent practicing their pitches to near perfection. Between hours of hard work, the Es enjoy classic summer camp activities like volleyball tournaments, karaoke, water balloon fights, and a beloved GSE tradition: the color war.

At the end of the three weeks lies Demo Day, an opportunity for the Es to show off their hard work to an audience of peers, family, and professional entrepreneurs. While they are all vying for the first place trophy, the real prize is the skills and experience the Es gain that will last a lifetime.

Captions withheld due to privacy. All photos belong to GSE.