Social Enterprise Academy Australia

29/01/2024

📢 NSW – EOI Closing Soon

20 fully funded and co-facilitated learning places are available for NSW schools in 2024.

If you represent a NSW Department of Education primary or secondary school, register your interest today.

Social Enterprise Schools is a student-led program that fosters enterprise learning by doing, where students take the lead.

The Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE) and Social Enterprise Schools is a proud recipient of the NSW Department of Education Student Wellbeing Innovation Fund.

Applications close for Round 1 on Thursday 8 February 2024, complete the EOI form here: https://lnkd.in/gj4cXqJJ

20/12/2023

The experience is very empowering for students and shows how they can build something positive from their ideas, while also supporting others in the process. The SES program offers a fundamental shift in the balance of classroom learning and real-life immersive, experiential challenge-based learning...

15/06/2023

Thanks to the Victorian Applied Learning Association for inviting the Academy to join its 2023 conference. (https://vala.asn.au/upcoming-events). VALA is the only professional (not for profit) teachers organisation offering professional development tailored to vocational and applied learning educators. Today Tom Colcott from our team is presenting a session about 'Developing entrepreneurial skills, mindsets and behaviours through student-led social enterprise'. Tom will highlight examples from Sandringham College where a wide range of social enterprises are emerging, including
* ‘Sandy Detailers’: led by a group who are passionate about cars, students run a car wash at school that will ‘make your car look like it’s just rolling off the showroom floor’. Profits are being directed to headspace
* ‘The Tuckshop’: a student-led social enterprise that trades in sweet treats with an offshoot of the business offering ‘pay to play games where you can win lollies!’. The team is pictured here with Academy facilitator, Catalina Gonzalez. Fore more information about Social Enterprise Schools, head to
https://www.socialenterprise.academy/aus/young-people.

01/06/2023

Here's a great way to kick off your Friday morning! Great to see Frankston Social Enterprise Hub supporting this opportunity.

Enjoy Good Mornings: breakfast talk series for the purpose-driven community [JUNE], Hosted at Frankston Social Enterprise Hub, Building B, 127 Fletcher Rd, Frankston VIC 3199, Australia, Fri 2nd Jun 2023, 8:00 am - 9:30 am AEST. Tickets are free. Only on Humanitix

26/05/2023

We’re excited to be offering Social Enterprise Schools at CHISHOLM INSTITUTE OF TAFE (VIC.) - one of Victoria’s premier public vocational education and training providers, prominently placed across Melbourne’s south east manufacturing heartland and residential growth corridors. Social Enterprise Academy Australia Facilitator, Matt Perfect and Social Enterprise Schools Coordinator, Tom Colcott, recently welcomed a group of Year 12 VM students from Frankston Campus to this collaborative, hands-on program that shows young people how to run a business with a social purpose. Matt is actively involved in the nearby Frankston Social Enterprise Hub and will be working closely with students throughout the year, offering introductions to other hub members, the hub, coaching and trading support opportunities.

24/05/2023

The coastal community of Mallacoota in Victoria is determined to shift the dial, especially for future generations. A community-wide entrepreneurial education and development program hosted by The Wilderness Collective and delivered by ACRE - Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Academy is in full swing. Social Enterprise Schools Coordinator, Tom Colcott recently visited Mallacoota where he met with members of The Wilderness Collective and checked in with students and teachers at Mallacoota P12 where lots of enterprising ideas and skills are emerging:
* Year 9/10 media students and their teacher Jim are utilising new video cameras and production equipment in creative ways. Tom led a session that unpacked what social enterprises are and explored how the students might use videography across the school with some fantastic ideas flowing, including working with years 5/6 social enterprise students who are requesting their video production skills.
* Grades 5/ 6 students and their teacher Ketzia kicked off their social enterprise journey last term and their creative problem solving skills are shining. When Tom asked students if they wanted to explore ideas around the cause/purpose side of their social enterprise or the trading/product side the group unanimously voted for cause and purpose, generating a passionate discussion about impact and local and global issues.
*Year 11 VM students and their teacher Rory are taking product design and production to the next level, developing a beautifully crafted product that will soon be released for sale in Mallacoota and beyond. The group explored ways to prepare for trade with Tom feeding in ideas including using a QR code payment option that will be soon be added to the Social Enterprise Schools marketplace.
Thanks to East Gippsland Community Foundation East Gippsland Shire Council, and the Victorian Government’s Emergency Recovery Victorialocal economic recovery grant program for supporting community-led rejuvenation approach in Mallacoota.
The Wilderness Workspace, Mallacoota P-12 College

14/05/2023

Presenting a business concept for critical feedback can be daunting but a group of Year 12 school students from Victoria’s North East nailed it. In an inspiring example of community impact, Community Bank Mansfield & District is funding schools in the Mansfield district to participate in Social Enterprise Schools. Students from Mansfield Secondary College recently joined a pitch session where they presented to their School Principal, Tim Hall; Year 12 Coordinator, Jess McDowell; School Finance Manager - Chelsea Dean; Branch Manager from Community Bank Mansfield & District - Ryan Daykin; and Academy Social Enterprise Schools Coordinator, Tom Colcott.
Through the process of setting up their own social enterprise, students who join Social Enterprise Schools develop the skills, mindsets and behaviours they will need as they move beyond the school gates.The students from Mansfield have designed and presented a range of quality products and are already finding lots of customers.
" I was blown away by how much work has gone into creating these social enterprises," said Tom Colcott

24/03/2023

Wow what a week in Social Enterprise Schools! Students are developing amazing business ideas across the country and I got to see them in action from Belmain to Edi Epper and across to Wangaratta. Thanks for having me Cathedral College Wangaratta Sydney Secondary College and Edi Upper PS. Can’t wait to come and support your fantastic social enterprises when you’re trading! Social Enterprise Academy ACRE - Australian Centre for Rural

08/03/2023

If you want something to happen, you need to get started by taking that first small step, scary though it may be! This week the coastal community of Mallacoota in Victoria is starting an 18 month entrepreneurial education and development program hosted by The Mallacoota Wilderness Collective and delivered by ACRE - Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Academy. We kicked off with a Social Enterprise Schools program for primary and secondary students at Mallacoota P-12 College, followed by education workshops for the broader community to demystify entrepreneurship and build greater understanding of social enterprise business models. An incredible range of cross sector leaders and organisations are backing this initiative. Thanks to East Gippsland Community Foundation, East Gippsland Shire Council, and the Victorian Government's Emergency Recovery Victoria local economic recovery grant program for supporting and enabling community-led rejuvenation in Mallacoota.

15/12/2022

What a massive year of Social Enterprise Schools in Australia! So proud of our schools for all they achieved and the incredible impact they have created. Not just in profits donated but sharing their impact and inspiring others to act for positive change in the world! Check out the 2022 Social Enterprise Schools Virtual Awards here!
https://www.socialenterprise.academy/aus/social-enterprise-schools-awards-2022

17/11/2022

Happy Social Enterprise Day everyone! We celebrated with an international collaboration session with 14 schools from Malaysia and Australia sharing their Social Enterprise learnings and insights. This is genuine youth-led social enterprise through peer to peer mentoring. Social Enterprise Academy ACRE - Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship

07/10/2022

Social Enterprise Academy gets ahead of the game with Movember!

Social Enterprise Academy is excited to have partnered with Movember to co-design and implement a Train the Trainer facilitation skills program.

This comprehensive program will enable participants from Movember’s key implementation partners to deliver Ahead of the Game - a preventative mental health program globally.

Through a global collaboration led by Social Enterprise Academy Australia, the project team includes members from the Academy’s Global Learning Lab in the UK along with Movember’s implementation partners from their Australian, Canadian and UK teams. The first round of the program kicked off last week in New Lanark, Scotland.

As a social enterprise that connects change makers around the world with transformational learning and development, we are proud to bring to life this opportunity to empower people in a learning methodology that affects social change.

Find out more aheadofthegame.org.au/about

ACRE - Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship
Social Enterprise Academy