Across Africa and around the world, young people are brimming with potential – but too often, traditional education doesn’t equip them with the skills needed for lifelong success.
According to the International Labour Organisation, 73 million young people worldwide are unemployed, and in the next 10 years, 1 billion more will be joining the workforce. Conventional education alone cannot ensure their future success: they need practical skills that are valued by employers and the adaptability to thrive in an ever-changing world.
This is where the School Enterprise Challenge comes in. The award-winning online international educational programme is back for 2025, giving students the opportunity to gain key business and life skills through planning and running a real business at their school.
Why We Do What We Do
Our mission is simple: to equip educators with the tools to help young people develop business and essential life skills. Through real, youth-led enterprises, children and young people experience first-hand the challenges and rewards of running a business. Along the way, they learn problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, communication, financial literacy, and resilience – skills that last a lifetime and are in demand by employers across the globe.
How the Programme Works
Hosted on ElevatED, a mobile-friendly online platform for teachers, the School Enterprise Challenge is free to join, accessible to pre-primary through secondary schools, and available in English and Spanish. Students are guided step-by-step to “learn by doing” as they plan, launch, and manage a real business.
Teachers receive a ready-made entrepreneurship curriculum, complete with lesson activities, worksheets, and videos, giving them the confidence and skills to lead practical, experiential learning. Schools benefit from the programme’s social and financial impact, generating income that can be reinvested in the school or in community projects.
Participants are recognised with awards, certificates, and prizes, and teachers can connect with an international network of peers to share ideas and best practices.
Proven Impact Across the Globe
Since 2011, the School Enterprise Challenge has reached over 40,000 schools, trained 20,000 teachers, and empowered more than 500,000 young learners with vital life and business skills. Schools have launched a wide variety of enterprises – from plant nurseries and vegetable gardens to eco-friendly soaps and sustainable fashion – raising over $3.5 million USD for school communities.
These numbers tell a powerful story: entrepreneurial education works. But the real impact is best seen through the experiences of students and teachers on the ground.
From Theory to Practice: Danny’s Story
In Ntranoa, a rural village in Ghana’s Central Region, Danny Dadson, CEO of Daddies Firm Foundation School, has turned theory into action. Founded in 2008 by his mother with just one student, the school now serves about 400 children aged 1-16. To complement classroom learning with practical experience, Danny introduced the School Enterprise Challenge.
Students launched the Daddies Firm Foundation School Farm, cultivating crops and raising goats, chickens, and rabbits. Junior students lead operations, while younger pupils contribute to caring for the animals. The farm has improved academic performance, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. When water scarcity threatened crops during the dry season, students devised an innovative rainwater harvesting system to ensure year-round supply.
The benefits extend beyond the classroom. Students share knowledge with their families – mostly farmers and fishermen – who are adopting improved methods. Some pupils even rear animals at home, spreading entrepreneurial practices across the community.
Danny envisions his school as a model for practical, entrepreneurial education in Ghana within the next decade. “Students will not be students forever,” he says. “Teaching life and business skills early equips young people to break cycles of poverty and drive lasting change.”
Join the Global Movement
The School Enterprise Challenge is more than a programme – it’s a movement to prepare young people for the future. By combining practical business experience with essential life skills, it equips students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
If your school is ready to empower students like Danny’s to gain real-world skills, make a positive community impact, and develop confidence for the future, register your free teacher account today. The 2025 programme is open now and it’s the perfect time to join. Be part of the next generation of young entrepreneurs shaping our world.
The School Enterprise Challenge is an initiative of Teach A Man To Fish, a UK registered charity and global leader in entrepreneurship education.
