Our Programs
We bring our passion, industry knowledge and education experience together into something
that makes a positive impact for everyone we work with
– young people, teachers and their wider community.
Using our experience and understanding, illuminate Education Australia has designed the illuminate Challenge and our other programs specifically for Australian students to be ready no matter where they go in the world. This opportunity allows students to explore the skills they need to shape the world around them, understand the capacity they have within themselves and start using it, and show that they have the skills to solve some of our community’s biggest challenges and experience it in a real and authentic way while remaining in an educational context.
Our programs are not just focused on the world of work – because we are more than just employees. We are focused on empowering confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners and active and informed members of our community. We know that our world needs more problem solvers to address our local challenges, and our young people are ready for this – and every program we deliver helps build their skills and capacity to shape the world around them.
Introducing the
The illuminate Challenge
For High Schools
The illuminate Challenge is a week-long intensive program that allows secondary students to experience first-hand what it takes to lead change and solve relevant problems in their community in an innovative manner. Facilitated by experienced staff with the support of industry and community, students learn more about the issue to come up with a solution to it, making sure it connects with customers and is viable – even pitching for support to get it running at the end of the program.
For Primary Schools
The illuminate JNR Challenge is an exciting program that introduces the skills that are key to being leaders of the future, what it takes to think like an entrepreneur and the capacity to succeed in education into the future. Facilitated by skilled staff from illuminate Education Australia with the support of the local business community, students learn about solving a relevant problem in the world, how to develop and refine an idea, look at how to make it financially viable and present it in a persuasive way – all skills students will need to succeed in the future.
For Industries
Because of the rich learning environment created by the illuminate Challenge, there are a number of benefits for your organisation through partnering with illuminate Education that go well beyond recognition on all program materials and helping co-design the programs. These benefits include engaging with students authentically, building strong relationship with schools, community and stakeholder engagement, solving community issues, acknowledgement as a presenting partner, industry exclusivity and more.
For Communities
The illuminate Community Challenge allows teams to deepen their understanding of community values through a problem solving lens and come up with projects, campaigns and businesses that increase their perception in the community. These ideas still require financial sustainability, connection to the community and strategic intent, but the community model allows for ideas to create impact in a different form, allowing for a different experience through the challenge.
For Agribusiness
The illuminate Agribusiness Challenge is a modified version of the program to allow students to grow their knowledge and understanding of this industry. Recognising the strength of the agriculture sector across Australia, illuminate Education Australia has co-designed this program with industry leaders where students develop a specified block of land on which they undertake soil tests and other checks to evaluate the options they have, to then explore the various forms of cultivating the land and the preferred business model to support this.
For DIY Materials
Knowing that every school is different, we make room for flexibility.
illuminateX is a 10 lesson educational program that has been designed for teachers to fit right into their lessons. Similar to the illuminate Challenge, illuminateX focuses on building out a problem from the core challenge and designing a solution to contribute to changing that problem. Students create a problem frame and begin to create a solution in the form of a business.
How We Do It
We combine design thinking, entrepreneurship, social and ethical understanding, business and personal development into every single impactful learning opportunity.
Communication
Speaking
Writing
Presentation
Understanding
Critical Thinking
Inquiry & Research
Digital Literacy
Financial Literacy
Solving Problems
Creativity
Design Thinking
Problem Solving
Reflection
Work Smart
Collaboration
Leadership
Organisation
Perseverance
Our Innovation Process
Across the week, students explore the innovative process designed by illuminate Education Australia, growing in their skills and confidence within themselves throughout the journey.
Stage 1 | Foundations.The first stage is about understanding the team you are working with to set a path for success, and to take time to explore a problem that your team can see that needs to be fixed.
Stage 2 | Ideation. Teams develop possible solutions to the problem in a creative and innovative way. They then refine the ideas to proritise the solution with the most substance, impact and potential.
Stage 3 | Developing. Teams turn their initial concept into a business idea that has financial forecasts, strategic plans and marketing collateral where the team works to its strengths under its own leadership.
Stage 4 | Presenting. Teams change gears from developing their idea to focusing how they communicate their solution to stakeholders for support, investment and feedback.
Stage 5 | Prototyping. Ideas are put through their paces to further develop the solution, how to handle challenges and getting more feedback from customers.
Stage 6 | Implementation. With the foundation established throughout the challenge, teams can take their idea forward and make it real. This is typically outside of the illuminate Challenge program.
Testimonials
“I have enrolled students in the illuminate Challenge for many years. illuminate Education Australia excels at motivating young people to become the independent learning, self-directed adults that our nation so desperately needs. Their provision of real-world learning is second to none and their programs are still talked about by students many years after they’ve left school. Best of all illuminate Education Australia’s programs target those cross-curricular priorities that are so difficult to address in the day-to-day classroom.”
– Bob Ashby, Teacher, Sheffield School (Tasmania)
“The illuminate:nextgen Challenge pushes students to extend themselves in a positive, supportive setting. It helps student to develop the real-world skills necessary for any workplace, and exposes them to study and career options. The program helps students to unlock their full potential and discover their future.”
– Brendan Taig, Careers Practitioner, Suzanne Cory High School (Victoria)
“The illuminate:nextgen challenge was, as described by one of our students at our school’s end of year awards ceremony, a life changing experience for our Year 10 students. The week created such a positive vibe amongst those doing the challenge and indeed, throughout the entire school, and students from all years seemed to be taking an active interest. I really do believe that this challenge, and the skills that were developed by students, will have a lasting impact on them, not only for success in Year 11 and 12, but also post-school education and in their working lives.”
– Dale Massie, HSIE Teacher, Terrigal High School (New South Wales)
“The Illuminate Challenge was astonishing. I truly didn’t expect the quality of ideas and presentations that the students delivered. It was clear to me that illuminate are building capability, and improving the confidence and career prospects of these students. I’m hoping to become more involved because I can see the value Illuminate adds to both the students, industry and the broader community.”
– Ellen Piper, People, Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation
“There is no finer task than to encourage and support our youth in their journey of learning. Having experienced first hand the illuminate Education Australia experience myself in a supporting role at Charles Sturt University, I was inspired by the energy that the young participants had in the skills of problem solving, vision creation and entrepreneurial strategies. Programs such as illuminate no doubt are an excellent tool as part of the preparation for life after school. I would encourage students and teachers to explore the opportunities that the illuminate Education programme offers.”
– Peta Pinson, Mayor, Port Macquarie Hasting Council
“In this rapidly changing world with the rise of emerging economies and onset of digital disruption, programs like the illuminate Challenge are absolutely critical to regional communities. Rather than seeing change as a threat, illuminate Education Australia opens the eyes of our young people to the opportunities that change presents.”
– Tim Watson, General Manager, Dorset Council
“Technical capabilities are the necessary, but not sufficient attributes for people hired into my organisation. The best candidates complement their technical capability with emotional intelligence along with the skills taught by Illuminate Education Australia. Working at today’s speed of business requires employees to bring more to the workplace. Creativity, a willingness to collaborate, natural curiosity and the ability to contribute to effective teamwork are key characteristics of tomorrow’s high performing leaders”
– Mike Faulkner, Managing Director (Australia & New Zealand), Verizon Enterprise Solutions
CONTACT US
We’re always eager to hear from people who are interested in what we do – whether you are a school, a potential partner or someone who just wants to get on board with what we do. You can either get in touch with us directly below, or else use the form on this page and we’ll respond to you shortly;
- Facebook at /illuminateeduau
- Email us directly
- Call us by phone +61 3 9087 1687
- See us in person through meeting with us in Launceston or Melbourne or when we travel – but please email to organise.
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We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.