How do you get 672 students across 24 schools to start social enterprises and make them successful? The answer involves trust, clear structure, and letting students choose causes they care about.
The brief
Deliver Social Enterprise Schools across 24 NSW schools (primary, secondary, central, and special purpose), engaging 672 students and 56 educators. Commissioned by ACRE and funded through the NSW Department of Education’s Student Wellbeing Innovation Fund to increase student engagement, resilience, agency, and confidence.
Outcomes achieved
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- Teaching teams collaborated across schools, stages, and regions, building knowledge and connection
- Students chose social causes that mattered to them,
- from supporting mental health to raising funds for international aid
- 60+ student-led social enterprises successfully generated profits for their causes
- Student agency, confidence, and hope increased by 25%+
- Over 96% of teachers reported the program met learning goals and fostered engagement, problem-solving, and creativity
What we learned
Clear design, genuine collaboration, and hands-on support turn local ideas into initiatives with measurable, meaningful outcomes.
“Rebecca’s work alongside teaching teams and students turned intent into impact. Grounded in community and shaped through co-design, she brought social enterprise learning to life – at scale – across schools, students, teaching teams, and communities in ACRE’s largest concurrent state-based delivery”.
Mary-Anne Scully, Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship