Traralgon College EntreprenEurs Project

Traralgon College has started a new project at Year 10 focused on teaching students to become young entrepreneurs - building their skills in an area they are passionate in and using these skills to provide value to others. We have been working with Professor Yong Zhao from the University of Kansas and author of "World Class Learners".

Our project is based on the core idea that school is set up to equip students with a traditional 'employee mindset' - learning a set of skills and knowledges and learning to do what you are told! Unfortunately, we do not know what jobs our students today will end up making their career out of - many do not even exist yet. Many students are disengaged from this system and many others are ritually engaged - going through the motions without feeling connected to what they are learning and doing.

To help them be successful, we need to help our students develop 'entrepreneurial mindsets' - identifying the needs of others and using their skills and knowledges to meet these needs. This requires getting really good at a few things, at the expense of being average at many things as is currently the case.

At Traralgon College, we have allowed a small group of volunteers to stop attending some of their traditional subjects (Maths, Science, History etc) and use the time to begin an entrepreneurial project linked to their passion. So far, some of these projects include:
- building and selling homemade metal goods
- breeding and selling lizards
- painting murals in schools
- refurbishing cars and trailers to sell
- writing a short story collection.

Our students need seed money to get their projects started. They are taking part in an expo in early November to show our school and local community what they have achieved and learned, and what can be accomplished when we allow students to take control of their own education.

Each student is currently developing a business plan and will need to pitch to school leaders and a local business person for the money they need to start their projects. Pitches will take place on 15-16 September and we need funds for students to apply for. Most students will need contributions in the low hundreds of dollars mainly to buy materials for production and for marketing costs.

Any donations will be greatly appreciated and you will be contributing to lifelong learning of a great group of kids, and helping to change the way we educate our young people for a future that is constantly changing.

Aden Wyers
Program Director