Picture this: 12 students ages 11 to 14 are given an assignment. In less than 24 hours, fly to New York City and present a unique idea to the product experts at one of the world’s leading personal care and home fragrance brands. That’s what happened earlier this week when Bath & Body Works partnered with the Ron Clark Academy’s Amazing Shake.

The Ron Clark Academy’s Amazing Shake is an exciting and dynamic competition that rallies leaders and role models together to teach students about professional skills for success. Elementary and middle school students learn and develop professional qualities — from the mechanics of a proper handshake to how to “work the room”— so they can present themselves effectively for opportunities today and in the future. The Ron Clark Academy is a non-profit middle school in Atlanta, Georgia that is internationally recognized for its success in creating a loving, dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence and fosters leadership. The competition began in 2011 and today competitions are held across the country with the winners of the event competing in the Global Amazing Shake in March.

Bath & Body Works invited the Amazing Shake students to their NYC offices and challenged them to pitch product ideas which would bring something new and refreshing to the brand. The idea needed to capture the interest and excitement of potential customers while taking into account market data and profitability.

One by one, students entered a large conference room on their own and stood in front of a panel of Bath & Body Works fragrance and product experts. Armed with a slide deck, they had just three minutes to sell their idea. Then, they were subject to a lightning round of questions from the Bath & Body Works judges.

After 12 impressive presentations, the Bath & Body Works team chose Ron Clark Academy student Adrienne Prater as the challenge’s winner. Under wraps for now, Prater’s idea was one-of-a-kind, innovative and something never before offered in Bath & Body Works’ extensive fragrance-first portfolio.

“We were proud to partner with the Ron Clark Academy on the Amazing Shake,” says Bath & Body Works Chief Diversity Officer Kelie Charles. “We’re committed to inspiring the next generation and demonstrating everything that’s possible in fragrance. Each student presentation was so inspiring, and the entire team was truly impressed with the creativity, extensive research and presentation skills of these students. Who knows, there may be a collaboration in the future.”

Congrats to all the students who brought their talents to the Bath & Body Works team. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.

Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works

Home of America’s Favorite Fragrances®, Bath & Body Works is a global leader in personal care and home fragrance, including top-selling collections for fine fragrance mist, body lotion and body cream, 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers and liquid hand soap. Powered by agility and innovation, the company’s predominantly U.S.-based supply chain enables the company to deliver quality, on-trend luxuries at affordable prices. Bath & Body Works serves and delights customers however and wherever they want to shop, from welcoming, in-store experiences at 1,850 company-operated Bath & Body Works locations in the U.S. and Canada and more than 480 international franchised locations to an online storefront at bathandbodyworks.com.

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