Upper School Students Pitch Products to Simplify Household Chores in Annual Saints Tank Competition

Innovation was on full display as Nansemond-Suffolk Academy's Upper School hosted its 17th annual Saints Tank competition. Inspired by ABC's hit show Shark Tank, this event challenges students in Principles of Economics to develop creative solutions to real-world problems.

Each year, Saints Tank evolves, and Mr. Truesdell and Ms. Parker work to improve the project in an effort to give students the best experience possible. The focus for the assignment is on implementing the Design Thinking process, which helps students to become creative problem solvers.

This year, teams of students were tasked with creating products that would simplify household chores. Participants prepared for weeks before presenting to the first panel of sharks.

The first round included 13 groups. Participants created an online booking program that connects Middle Schoolers with their neighbors in need of help around the house (Good Neighbor), socks that stay with their match (Pairables), a device that dries floors quickly while mopping (Quick E Mop), a cup holder that fits bottles of all sizes (Cup Flex), a travel duster (Dust-N-Go), a vacuum attachment that cleans your baseboards (Auto-Base), devices that make cleaning showers and tubs easier (Bubble Boss and Wish Washer), a one-size-fits-all trash bag (OSFA), a deodorizer that sanitizes and freshens bags (OdorOut), a disposable dish liner (Dish Guard), a silicone drain protector with a sodium hydroxide pod that dissolves debris (Catch N' Flow) and an automated dog waste scooper that not only picks up your dog's mess, but also seals the bag for you (Clean Paws).

Following an evaluation of their problem-solving skills, prototype development and presentation quality, Catch N' Flow, Clean Paws and OdorOut were selected to move on to the finals. These teams were tasked with pitching their products to a new panel of judges, who provided them with invaluable feedback to help refine their concepts.

After the second panel of sharks consulted with one another, they announced Avery Howell '26, Emma Morgan '25, Madison Pursel '26 and Celine Waddy '26 with Catch N' Flow as the winners. Team members marketed the device as a stress-free way to keep your shower and tub drains from clogging, and even created a prototype to show the sharks.

Congratulations to all of our Saints Tank participants, and thank you to Mr. Truesdell, Ms. Parker and all of our sharks for their time and dedication to this event!

Catch N' Flow

Clean Paws

OdorOut