Pupils are preparing to showcase their entrepreneurial spirit in the Social Enterprise Schools Dragon’s Den-style pitch event on 24 June and their innovative projects are already making a positive impact.

Fourteen students from Years 7 to 10 have been working on two exciting social enterprise initiatives, combining creativity with real-world business skills, while supporting their curriculum learning in STEM, language, communication and the arts.

A group of seven students from Years 7, 8 and 9 have been designing and creating a tapestry to celebrate Sunderland’s rich cultural heritage. The finished piece will be photographed and scanned to produce merchandise such as mugs, notebooks and other items, which will then be sold locally.

Meanwhile, seven Year 10 students have been using their artistic talents to make clay jewellery, working in partnership with local mental health charity Washington Mind. The jewellery has already been on sale in the charity’s shop, raising valuable funds to support mental health services in the community.

Both teams will present their social enterprise ideas to a panel of local business owners and managers later this month, and are also documenting their journey by producing a film about their work with Social Enterprise Schools.

Social Enterprise Schools is a pupil-led programme, where young people take charge of the decision-making and the efforts to create a social enterprise. This approach allows students to learn through experience as they gain a practical understanding of social entrepreneurship, encouraging them to set up their own socially conscious businesses in the future.

Karyn Taylor, Head of School at Evolve, said: “We want our students to be inspired to set up their own socially conscious businesses, and these projects are a fantastic first step. Our pupils have embraced the challenge with creativity, teamwork and determination. They’re developing skills that will last a lifetime, and making a genuine contribution to our community. We’re looking forward to seeing them share their ideas at the Dragon’s Den event.”

The Social Enterprise Schools programme offers young people the chance to set up and run a business with a social purpose, helping them build skills for life and work.

Originally published by the Sunderland Echo: Sunderland pupils take on Dragon’s Den style social enterprise challenge