Handmade wristbands, candles and picture frames catch the eye of teachers and students as they browse the market stalls. Shoppers pick through bookmarks and t-shirts, exploring the many products on offer.
Behind the stall tables, the salespeople are also the ideas-people. They’d taken a unique idea and turned it into a real product during Kidpreneurs Ninjas Academy. And they’re taking a moment out of their Year 5 or 6 classroom to showcase and sell their offerings.
Toby is a Program Coordinator at The Smith Family. Part of his role is to deliver programs like Kidpreneur.
“Kidpreneur has excited the students and given them the opportunity to be creative. Not only do the students have to plan, work as a team and then create their products, but on the market day they are at the point of sale. So many real-world skills are being learned,” he says.
Every Kidpreneur Ninjas Academy is a chance for students to enrich their formal education by developing their entrepreneurial mindset and important new skills for the future. The children who attend can explore their ideas freely in an equal setting to their peers. Then seeing their ideas come to life builds confidence and pride.
“The life skills that can be learnt in Kidpreneur go a long way in encouraging students to be creative, try things, be persistent, solve problems and come up with solutions. Beyond any academic achievement, these sorts of skills empower students to create better futures for themselves,” says Toby.
The Kidpreneurs finished their program by putting real products on the table for sale, giving them a chance to practice their presentation and pitching skills. Toby was more than tempted by the market offerings, taking home a few items of his own.
“As a new Program Coordinator to this community, it was great to see how they run it and how passionate the staff and students are,” says Toby.
