'their donations help make a difference to others, and this sense of purpose is something we hope our girls will take forward with them throughout their lives.'
In 2019 Ruyton commenced offering the $20 Boss programme to Year 9 and 10 students. The programme is supported by the Foundation for Young Australians and allows students to delve into the business world and explore the possibilities of building socially responsible activities that address issues of concern to young people today. The course aims to develop the key enterprise skills of critical thinking, creativity and innovation, collaborative problem solving and communication.
Students work in groups with the aim of delivering a product for sale to Ruyton students and staff. The girls work collaboratively to identify marketing methods, plan their financial requirements and solve a variety of logistical dilemmas. Throughout the programme, the students encountered problems ranging from unexpected demand, changing customer tastes and time constraints to successfully deliver their product or service. Being an entrepreneur involves taking on challenges and continually working through these to ensure that the final products or services are the best they can be. The $20 Boss programme exposes students to this mindset and helps them formulate ideas they may choose to pursue in the future.
The central purpose of this course is to create an understanding of entrepreneurship and how businesses best work. Students are provided with $20 of start-up capital to create, launch and operate their venture over the course of a school term. This experience immerses them in the creation of ideas and approaches but also the identification and solving of issues or problems.
Profits from product or service sales are given back to the community through donation to a charity selected by the students. Importantly, their donations help make a difference to others, and this sense of purpose is something we hope our girls will take forward with them throughout their lives.
Chris Moloney, Business Management Teacher