The ‘Startup Success’ challenge day has been taking place in Global Accelerator schools around the world as they work towards the Skills Builder Gold Award. 

Skills Builder challenge days are an exciting and engaging way for learners in a class, year group or across cohorts to reinforce and apply their essential skills to a scenario. 

Instead of their usual lessons, students take a full day to complete the challenge day activities to bring essential skills to life, meeting principle 6 of our six principles of best practice.

Skills for startup success 

Startup success sees students consider how to set up their own business. They explore the world of entrepreneurship by creating their own start-up to design, make and sell a range of souvenirs to show off the best aspects of their local community.

Essential skills in practice

Learners use teamwork skills, working together and applying leadership to decide what type of souvenir to make. They then apply their creativity skills to make their own souvenirs, staying positive when this presents challenges. They use problem solving to work out how much their souvenir should cost. Learners also have the opportunity to practise their speaking and listening skills by presenting a business pitch for their product. Finally, they practise aiming high by reflecting on what they are proud of from the day. 

Students from our global schools threw themselves into the challenge, coming away from the day with some spectacular souvenirs! 

DLF Public School in India made the challenge day their own, adapting the sessions to be highly relevant for their setting. They ran the day with a junior team and a senior team, who both took a different approach to the task. The junior team focused on speaking and leadership skills to create an individual and practical product, whilst the senior team used their subject knowledge of ecology to make miniature planters. They listened critically to gain an understanding of every stage of product creation. Both teams practised aiming high to reflect on their success and consider how they will use the skills they have developed in future projects.

Teachers reflect on the impact of challenge days

“The ‘Start-Up Success Challenge" helped students develop entrepreneurial skills and creativity. Through hands-on work, teamwork, and reflection, students not only created products but also improved communication and problem-solving skills.” 
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Akriti Sinha, Skills Leader at DLF Public School

“It was an enriching experience to witness our students actively engaged in hands-on activities that allowed them to create souvenirs (bookmarks, badges and postcards) to promote their city and pitch them to potential customers. The Challenge Day enabled our students to apply various skills and knowledge in a practical setting.

I would highly recommend a Skills Builder Challenge Day to other schools as it provides an engaging way for students to develop all eight essential skills while working on a real-world project.”

Raminder Mac, Skills Leader at Choithram School

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