India, 20.07.2022: Teach A Man To Fish, a leading international non-profit organisation that promotes entrepreneurship education across the globe today announced an extension for schools to register on their award-winning business program – the School Enterprise Challenge. The program has helped over 430,000 young people to develop new skills through planning and running a business since 2006.
The School Enterprise Challenge is a free online program for schools, where young people develop essential life and business skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and leadership, through practical, hands-on experiences as they plan and run a school business.
There is $25,000 worth of prizes available for the best entries this year, with a top prize of $5000 for the best global school business. Schools have until 29th July to register and must complete all work by 22nd November 2022 to be eligible to win.
Speaking on this, Nik Kafka, CEO Teach A Man To Fish said, “Too many young people leave school without the skills to support themselves or their families, preventing them from reaching their full potential. With an entrepreneurial mindset, a suite of vital business and life skills, confidence, and aspiration, young people can achieve anything. Our programs provide this, empowering young people not only to help themselves but their families and the wider world in turn. In India alone, we have supported more than 30,000 young people from government and private schools across the country to develop this entrepreneurial mindset, schools who enroll year after year as they watch their students grow in confidence and capability.”
GD Goenka Public School, Model Town, Delhi has taken part in the School Enterprise Challenge for 3 years and won the Gold Award for Best Annual report in 2021 with a prize of $2000. The team at this school set up a Multi-State Nutri Food Cafe, selling healthy food and snacks to their peers. With the arrival of covid, they were able to think about how to adapt their business and provided healthy, organic fruit boxes which were delivered safely to students in class. In 3 months, the business generated a profit of 3,69,650 rupees. This team is also supporting the community by visiting the slum areas in Delhi, providing food, and giving demonstrations on basic hygiene.
Utpal Shaghvi Global School, Mumbai took part in the School Enterprise Challenge in 2021 and Bijal Mehta received the Transformative Teaching Award for her dedication and leadership. This team of young entrepreneurs sets up a plant selling business, Ecotopia, providing air purifying plants to customers and in just 3 months, earned a profit of 1,27,856 rupees.
Rakhi Mukherjee, the Principal of the school describes her experience “We learned to aspire and dream. We learned that nothing is impossible as in the word impossible there is ‘I am possible.’ Participating in School Enterprise challenge competition has not only provided literacy and numeracy skills but a range of skills not only on cognition but also on the interdependencies of cognitive, social, and emotional characteristics has been fostered and enhanced.”
Through the programme, students will work together to brainstorm viable business ideas, and then follow a step-by-step guide to setting up their business and making real money. Profits made can be put back into the school to purchase additional resources and equipment. Teachers are fully supported to lead the program, with all resources and materials available from the online platform. Schools can interact with other schools around the world, by joining a global online community of entrepreneurial schools.
