The Smith Family’s Kidpreneur program is an immersive, experiential 10-week entrepreneurship program for primary school-aged students, typically in Years 5 and Years 6. In this teacher-led program, students build their own micro-business using an authentic project-based approach.
The Smith Family
Kidprenuer Program
The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that works with children and young people to overcome educational inequality caused by poverty – so they can thrive now and into their futures.
The Smith Family’s core program, Learning for Life, provides almost 60,000 young Australians in need with a proven combination of financial, personal and practical support. This empowers young people to harness education and build skills to unlock their true potential.
The Kidpreneur program is part of The Smith Family’s suite of learning and mentoring programs. It aims to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in children and build the skills that successful entrepreneurs display. By embedding these skills into children at an early age, they will grow and develop with them, opening their minds to potential careers and preparing them for the future workforce.
Using a project-based structure, participating students build their own micro-business, creating, making, pitching and selling their own products or services at a school market day so they can present their work to the school and wider community. This engaging program builds innovation capacity, creativity, confidence and resilience.
Kidpreneur is delivered by teachers, utilising resources and support provided by The Smith Family and our program partner, Entropolis.
The Malka Foundation supports the Kidpreneur program in Western Australia. In 2023, through the provision of funding support, The Malka Foundation have enabled The Smith Family to trial a unique and innovative whole-of-school entrepreneurial learning opportunity extending to primary school-aged students, ranging from Year 1 through to Year 6. This support has allowed the program to be adapted to cater to younger students, who can acquire an age-appropriate understanding of entrepreneurial concepts through buddy learning and mentorship from older students and teachers.
Providing meaningful learning opportunities to young students experiencing disadvantage is a gateway to helping them thrive now, and into their futures. Thanks to the Malka Foundation’s generous support, The Smith Family provides the Kidpreneur program to Perth students in low SES schools, helping them develop an entrepreneurial mindset and build skills required to succeed in entrepreneurial vocations. Developing this aptitude can open a world of opportunity – one where they, their families, and communities may benefit greatly!”
Julie Gorman, The Smith Family Regional Programs Manager WA
