Empowering Minds for Innovation and Change through Entrepreneurship and Leadership

In the hectic world of possibilities, entrepreneurship emerges as a vibrant form of vision and transformation, giving rise to new ideas and imaginative solutions. Today, we are at a crossroads where nurturing young minds with an entrepreneurial spirit and honing their leadership prowess becomes a challenging but very important pursuit. Education is at the center of this great undertaking and this explains the need to teach entrepreneurship, awakening creative thinking and training young leaders.

The new edition of the course “Teaching Entrepreneurship and Leadership at School” took place in Tenerife from 30/07/2023 to 05/08/2023. We have the participation of Riinu, Anne and Ksenia from Ágnes from Kiskunhalasi Református Kollégium Szilády Áron Gimnázium és Kollégium in Hungary, Ágnes from Heves Megyei SZC Bornemissza Gergely Technikum, Szakképző Iskola és Kollégium in Hungary, Mónika from Budapest III. Kerületi Krúdy Gyula Angol-Magyar Két Tanítási Nyelvű Általános Iskola in Hungary and Danila from Liceo Linguistico Statale Ninni Cassara' in Italy.  

To begin with, we work with the concepts of entrepreneurship and the fundamentals of business models. Entrepreneurship is the engine of innovation and economic growth, it involves identifying opportunities, taking risks and creating value. Already understanding business models is crucial to successful entrepreneurship skills. A business model describes how a company operates, generates revenue and delivers value to customers.  

Soon after, we worked on how to apply these concepts in schools. They equip students with essential skills and mindsets beyond the classroom, promoting creativity, problem solving and resilience. We work with practical exercises, improving the learning experience, stimulating teamwork and leadership skills. Learning these approaches also inspires teachers and administrators to be role models, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among students.

We work with leadership styles, focusing on the differences between leader and boss. It's two distinct roles in a workplace, each with their own style and impact on the team. A leader is someone who inspires and guides others, while a boss is someone who manages and directs others. Participants were able to debate and decide what kind of leadership they would like to exercise in their entrepreneurship projects.

Throughout the week, we did exercises that allowed participants to work on communication and problem-solving skills. In addition to dramatizations that simulated the presentation of Startups, this was done through a game with surprise content so that they could develop their creative skills. We had results that were fun and exciting for the whole group.

Finally, a practical work was carried out, where the participants elaborated an entrepreneurship workshop. An important experience, which the participants have the opportunity to take back to their schools, so that it can be reproduced among their colleagues and, later, among their students. If teamwork and the search for knowledge are in the essence of entrepreneurship, it is always good to multiply it.

Discover more about this course here.