Students at Tennant Creek High School are building their entrepreneurial capability thanks to eBay and Schools Plus. Located approximately 1,000km from Darwin, over 80% of the students at Tennant Creek are from an Indigenous background. The school’s remoteness means it has limited access to services relating to business ownership and entrepreneurship.
A new partnership between eBay and national charity, Schools Plus, has enabled the school to implement a program to support 60 students in their quest to build entrepreneurial skills. Last year, middle school students created their own small businesses through Young Change Agents’ $20 Boss entrepreneurship program. eBay’s funding is building on the school’s enterprise learning this year. Teachers will be upskilled and senior school students will work to create social enterprises in response to a challenge or opportunity they have identified in the local community.
This unique program includes participation from Indigenous community members and organisations, who will consult with students during the workshops. This eBay funded program is also running in Kepnock State High School in Queensland, which has been designed in consultation with Indigenous students and community leaders to ensure that it provides appropriate cultural context and Indigenous case studies.
Tennant Creek teacher, Julieanne Spina, is delighted to be able to offer this practical and engaging program to her students: “It is fantastic to be able to build on the success of the trial we held previously, which focussed on encouraging the students to develop their own business idea. Encouraging the students to develop their entrepreneurial skills in this local community will stand them in great stead for the future.”
Rosemary Conn, CEO of Schools Plus, commented: “We are delighted to have been able to partner with eBay to deliver this invaluable program to Tennant Creek High School students. It is the very epitome of what we try to achieve at Schools Plus, that magical combination of using the power of education to develop life skills for students and integration with the local Indigenous community. I can’t wait to see the student’s business ideas coming to life later this year!”
eBay Australia spokesperson Sophie Onikul said: “eBay connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. We’re incredibly proud this funding will encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs and benefit the local community at the same time.”