Earlier this week, the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) launched the Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) at the Houses of Parliament with the support of the Minister for Civil Society.
It was a landmark in fostering entrepreneurship in schools and reflects our Pioneers’ calls through the Control Shift report to transform the teaching of enterprise.
SEQ from Brett Harvey on Vimeo.
More info on the Social Enterprise Qualification
The Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) is a new scheme that encourages and accredits anyone interested in making positive social change through enterprise. For those of you familiar with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, the SEQ is similar in offering Bronze, Silver and soon to be Gold levels of achievement.
Qualified SEQ Mentors (these could be teachers, parents or business people in your local area) guide students on the programme in starting their own businesses that make money by addressing social and environmental problems. Your mentor would be there to guide you through the whole process from brainstorming ideas to creating your product and marketing it to your local community (or even further afield!).
The SEQ scheme has been on trial in schools prior to its launch, and it has enabled some really innovative projects to happen. For example, a group of Sixth Formers from Plymouth College have set up Ecovation, a company which makes birdfeeders from recycled materials. Unity is a Silver grade project from Devonport High School for Boys which collaborates with a school in China to produce products that help to breakdown cultural barriers between the two countries. Year 10 students from Saltash School in Cornwall use their school’s waste paper to make cool badges and have raised hundreds of pounds to re-invest in their project.
