Recently, students from News and Contemporary Studies and STEMship Enterprise Year 8 classes took part in the Young Change Agents Impact Boss Program, an engaging one day workshop designed to empower young people to become change-makers.
The workshop encouraged students to identify a real-life challenge in the community and use design thinking to develop a social enterprise that incorporates a business proposal, with the goal of improving our community by focusing on social change.
Identifying Challenges, Inspiring Change
Some of the community problems identified by students in the workshop included: how to repurpose materials that may end up as waste to create disability aids, the benefits of good posture and how to promote it among students, and how to raise funds to support community members who are experiencing homelessness.
Students then worked in groups to develop a solution addressing one of these issues. Below, in their own words, are some reflections on what they gained from the day.
“We explored the differences between a social enterprise, business and charity, and were shown examples of social enterprises already making a positive impact in the community. Teamwork was another important part of the incursion, as everyone’s skills and strengths made every role valuable when working towards a common goal. Overall, we found the incursion both interesting and fun because it showed us how young people can make a difference by thinking creatively and working together.”
– Muyao and Andrea
“The workshop allowed us to work with peers we hadn’t before, combining students from both classes so that everyone could play to each other’s strengths. We learnt how to construct an effective solution to a realistic problem and went through the design thinking process to create a business idea. It was a very fun experience and taught us crucial life skills that will help us in the years to come!”
– Trisha, Eano and Liyana
Developing Skills for the Future
Overall, the Young Change Agents incursion gave the students a valuable opportunity to build entrepreneurial and enterprising skills, work collaboratively across subjects, and see how creative, community-focused thinking can drive real social change. Students left with practical skills in design thinking, pitching and problem-solving that will serve them well beyond the classroom. Thank you to the teachers, and to Young Change Agents, for helping to make this cross-curricular opportunity possible for our students.
