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19 September, 2019 Academic

Year 5 Energy Expo: Budding entrepreneurs present their renewable energy businesses

This term our Year 5 students have been learning about sources of renewable energy and the attributes of entrepreneurs to create their very own renewable energy businesses.

The students have been applying their knowledge of renewable energy and working in teams to develop a brand, conduct market research, budget, set goals and develop their product.

It has been fantastic to see the students engaged in this project, demonstrating their creativity and working hard, which are all key characteristics of great entrepreneurs.Year 5 teacher, Ms Romy Tobiansky

The project commenced earlier this term when the students were allocated a form of renewable energy to research, including solar, hydroelectric, biomass and wind.

Students also heard about the challenges of running a business from Year 12 student and entrepreneur Isabella, who runs her very own successful business, Luv Ur Skin.

“It was great to be able to share my experiences with the Year 5 students, I could see that they were really thinking about what they might be able to do with their own businesses,” said Isabella.

Following Isabella’s inspiring presentation the students were ready to start creating their own businesses and finding an area of the School where their source of energy could be harnessed.

To help the students with their businesses they attended a Grow Zone Day where they learnt about entrepreneurial skills, the stories behind famous company names, conducted market research around the School and learnt about budgets.

“I learnt that you had to spend your money wisely because you had to balance your budget so you didn’t go into debt,” said Year 5 student, William.

It was fun to see what other companies were doing and to come up with a pitch.Year 5 student, Jerome

Over the past week, the students have been working in teams to complete Shark Tank-style ‘Power Pitches’ which include a speech, a model of their product, a flowchart and display board.

The final presentations were then showcased at the Year 5 Energy Expo where the School community was invited to see the students’ creativity, teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit.

The projects have been fantastic, my daughter Maddi has thought a lot about her source of energy and spoken about the collaboration needed from the team. We’ve also spoken about how this project represents skills and qualities that will be needed throughout life.Year 5 parent, Jacqueline

Following the expo, one team from each class was voted by their classmates to pitch their business idea to a panel of St Michael’s experts including Director of Engagement and Marketing, Ms Vanessa Hannan, Director of Business, Mr Farai Mufuka and Head of Science, Ms Von Hayes.

The panel of experts asked the students some challenging questions which all students responded to with confidence and a strong understanding of their products. It was a very close pitch, with the team Bright Air crowned the winners of the 2019 Year 5 Energy Expo by the panel of experts.

“The presentations were really wonderful, they were very well researched and presented,” said Director of Engagement and Marketing, Ms Vanessa Hannan.

  • year-5-energy-expo-budding-entrepreneurs-present-their-renewable-energy-businesses
    Winning team, Bright Air presenting their wind turbines
  • year-5-energy-expo-budding-entrepreneurs-present-their-renewable-energy-businesses
    Ms Hannan, Mr Mufuka and Ms Hayes discussing the presentations

We would like to congratulate all Year 5 students on their outstanding projects, it was wonderful to see their understanding of the importance of renewable energy and their ability to work together to bring their ideas to life.