Programs & Workshops | illuminateX
The illuminate experience – in your classroom, on your schedule, across a full term.
Teacher-led and illuminate-supported, with everything your school needs to run it well.
illuminateX brings the illuminate innovation framework into the classroom – delivered by your teachers, supported throughout by our team, and structured across a full term to give students the time and depth the process deserves. The same six-stage framework that drives our face-to-face programs runs through every version of illuminateX. What changes is the depth, the year level and the time commitment. For schools that want to embed innovation and enterprise education into their curriculum, for home school students who deserve the same experience as everyone else, and for communities using education as a vehicle for youth capacity building – illuminateX is how illuminate works when an incursion is not possible or not the right fit.
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WHAT IT IS
One framework. Three depths. Delivered by your teachers, backed by ours.
illuminateX is a self-paced, teacher-led program built around the illuminate innovation process. Schools choose the version that fits their students, their curriculum context and the time they have available – and illuminate provides everything needed to run it well, from the initial educator PD through to industry-based judging at the end.
Our team stays connected throughout the term – reviewing student work, meeting with teams, providing feedback and supporting the teacher at every stage. This is not a set-and-forget resource. illuminate is actively involved from registration through to the final pitch. Teachers lead the learning. We make sure they are never doing it alone.
What Makes illuminateX Different?
- Same six-stage innovation process as our face-to-face programs
- Teacher leads – illuminate supports throughout the full term
- Three depth levels calibrated for different year groups and contexts
- Full resource ecosystem including PD, activity cards, online portal and physical materials
- illuminate mentors student teams twice throughout the term
- Industry-based judging available at program end
- STEAM and Agribusiness adaptations available now
- Optional illuminate The Day add-on to launch or close the program
Choose the right version
Three versions of illuminateX – same process, different depth.
To give schools maximum flexibility, illuminate has developed three versions of illuminateX that take into account the focus of the program, the age of the students and the time that can be committed. Each version runs the full six-stage innovation process – the artefacts, the complexity and the expectations are calibrated to match the students and the context.
illuminateX Project
The entry point.
Younger students | Years 4–9 | 10–14 hours
Designed for younger students, students with lower literacy levels, where time is limited or as an introduction to innovation concepts before a deeper experience later. The focus is on moving through the full process rather than producing detailed final submissions – building the habits of collaborative thinking and creative problem solving that carry forward into everything else.
Students Produce:
- Project Pitch – 3 minutes
- Project Outline – 4 pages
- Project Starting Costs and Running Costs
- Marketing Outline and one piece of marketing material
illuminateX Community
Community solutions, built to last.
High school students | 18–22 hours
Students build community solutions for problems they identify in the world around them – with a greater focus on creating sustained impact through business models and evidence-based strategy. illuminateX Community develops the financial literacy, marketing thinking and feasibility analysis that turns a good idea into a credible plan.
Students produce
- Pitch Presentation – 4 minutes
- Feasibility Study – 8–10 pages
- Costs to Start, Monthly Budget and Break-Even Analysis
- Marketing Strategy and two pieces of marketing material
illuminateX Enterprise
The full business case.
Students respond to challenges in the local economy and prototype their solution as part of the process of building a new business. Better suited to older students already engaging with business subjects. The depth of financial modelling, the business case and the prototype requirement make this the version that most closely mirrors what students will encounter beyond school.
Students Produce:
- Pitch Presentation with Prototype – 5 minutes
- Business Case – 10–12 pages
- Establishment Costs, Forecast P&L and Break-Even Analysis
- Market Research, Marketing Strategy and two pieces of marketing material
STEAM & Agribusiness
illuminateX is also available in STEAM and Agribusiness focus areas.
Schools working in STEAM education or agricultural and land-based learning can access illuminateX through a lens that connects the innovation framework directly to those contexts. The process is the same — the challenge brief, the industry framing and the artefact expectations are adapted to fit the focus area. Both adaptations are available now.
illuminateX STEAM
Design, test, prototype – through a STEAM lens.
Students apply the illuminate innovation process to a STEAM-based challenge – designing, testing and prototyping a solution that sits at the intersection of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The enterprise thinking that runs through every illuminate program is retained. The problem space is specific to STEAM.
illuminateX Agribusiness
Land, community and regional economy – a challenge worth solving.
Students tackle challenges connected to agriculture, land use and regional economies – developing solutions that are commercially viable, environmentally considered and grounded in the context of the community they are part of. Particularly well-suited to regional and rural schools and local government programs focused on agricultural workforce development.
Resources and Support
Everything your school needs to run illuminateX well – from the first session to the final pitch.
illuminateX is designed so that teachers can lead the program with confidence. illuminate provides the full resource ecosystem and stays actively involved throughout the term – so no teacher is navigating the process alone.
Educator PD Workshop
Before the program begins, teachers move through a professional development workshop covering the program, the materials, the six innovation stages and how to implement the challenge in the classroom.
Activity Cards
A complete set of facilitation resources guiding teachers and students through every stage – including structured activities, toolkits and optional extension tasks for teams that want to go further.
Printable Resources
Physical resources students use throughout the program, designed to be displayed in class to reinforce key information and track progress. Built for the classroom, not a screen.
Learn – Online Portal
illuminate’s online portal gives students digital access to templates and learning materials, a space to submit work visible to both teacher and illuminate team, and access to extension resources.
Debrief Opportunities
Regular touchpoints for educators to check in with our team – sharing progress, raising challenges and getting direct support from people who have run this process hundreds of times.
Feedback on Student Work
The illuminate team reviews student work submitted through Learn and provides specific, practical feedback that teachers can use to support their students further.
Student Mentoring
Our team meets with student teams twice across the program – once early to challenge initial assumptions, and once later to underpin the strategies they are taking forward with industry insight.
Industry Based Judging
Student work is reviewed alongside industry collaborators, bringing professional experience to what students produced. Can be used to announce judged winners at a school assembly or celebration event.
Extend the experience with our facilitators
Pair illuminateX with a face-to-face illuminate The Day experience.
While illuminateX is designed to run fully in the classroom, many communities have found real value in pairing it with a one-day workshop facilitated by the illuminate team. Two options are available – one to launch the program, one to close it.
illuminate can build your school schedule across illuminateX to accommodate The Day in either position, ensuring the intensive experience integrates with the pacing of the program rather than disrupting it. Pricing is based on student numbers and school location.
Option 1
Launching illuminateX
illuminate delivers a one day workshop at the start of the term – taking students through the problem framing process with our experienced facilitators, setting the program up for success and creating an energising start to the whole process. An optional teacher PD session can be added to help educators prepare for what follows.
Option 2
Closing illuminateX
illuminate delivers the one day workshop at the end of the term as a final experience to celebrate and close the program – a presentation, a workshop with our team and a closing event that gives the work students have produced the audience it deserves.
Is illuminateX right for your setting?
Built for classrooms, home school settings and youth capacity building programs.
School & Classroom Teachers
Embed innovation and enterprise education across a full term.
illuminateX is the right choice when an in-person incursion is not possible or when the school wants to embed innovation and enterprise education more deeply into the curriculum. It works as a standalone subject, as a component of an elective, or as an enterprise education program that connects directly to the Australian Curriculum. The three depth levels make it adaptable across year groups and learning contexts.
Home school students and families
The same experience – delivered flexibly, on your schedule.
Home school students deserve the same experience as students in traditional school settings. illuminateX is built for flexible delivery – and illuminate backs the educator throughout, whether that educator is a teacher in a classroom or a parent leading learning at home. The program provides structure, resources and ongoing support that makes the process manageable and the outcomes real.
Local government and community organisations
Youth capacity building with a structured, evidence-based framework.
For councils and community organisations investing in young people, illuminateX offers a structured approach that builds the capabilities students need to contribute to their communities – and produces real ideas connected to real local issues. illuminate can adapt the challenge brief to reflect local priorities and support the program with mentoring and industry judging.
STEAM and enterprise education programs
A framework that fits naturally alongside what you are already doing.
Schools running STEAM or enterprise education programs will find illuminateX connects directly to their existing curriculum structures. The STEAM and Agribusiness adaptations extend the framework into specialist focus areas without losing the enterprise thinking and innovation process that make illuminate’s approach distinct.
What every program builds
The capabilities schools, employers and communities are asking for – right now, not eventually.
illuminate’s skills framework was developed through consultation with industry partners and a review of current literature. It describes the capabilities young people need to be confident, creative and capable – relevant to school, to community, to industry and to life. It has been developed through consultation with industry partners, educational research, and alignment to the Australian Curriculum. As AI reshapes the workplace, these are the skills no algorithm replaces.
We are focused on building skills like…
Speaking
Writing
Presentation skills
Critical thinking
Inquiry and research
Digital literacy
Financial literacy
Creativity
Design thinking
Problem solving
Reflection
Collaboration
Leadership
Organisation
Perseverance
Entrepreneurial thinking
Community engagement
Resilience
These capabilities are woven through every single illuminate Education Australia program.
Investment
Priced for delivery – and nothing else.
illuminate prices its programs as close to delivery cost as possible. We are a social enterprise – a majority of our surplus goes back into the work, not to shareholders.
What the fee covers: All planning and pre-program consultation with your school, full on-site facilitation by our team across every session, all student resources and workshop materials, travel and accommodation for the illuminate team, and a post-program impact data report. Everything needed to run the experience. Nothing held back.
How we quote: When quoting to bring the illuminate Challenge to your community, we need to know just four things:
- Your preferred dates
- Approximate student numbers
- Which program format suits your school
- Your school location (to account for flights)
Everything we do is based on a flat-fee quote, with pricing based on a per-faciliator fee – so there are no hidden costs, and no surprises.
Common Questions
Which version of illuminateX is right for my students?
illuminateX Project suits Years 4–9 or students being introduced to the framework for the first time. illuminateX Community is designed for high school students building community-focused solutions. illuminateX Enterprise is best for Years 9–12 students already engaging with business subjects. Talk to us and we will help you decide.
How much time does illuminateX take in the school year?
Depending on the version, illuminateX requires between 10 and 25 hours of classroom time across the term. illuminate works with your school to schedule this in a way that fits your timetable and teaching program.
What support does illuminate provide to teachers during delivery?
Our team is actively involved throughout the term – reviewing student work through the Learn portal, providing written feedback, meeting with student teams twice and being available to debrief with teachers at key points. Teachers are never running illuminateX alone.
Can illuminateX be used for assessment?
Yes. All student work produced through the program can be used for internal assessment. Curriculum mapping is available on request.
Is illuminateX available for home school students?
Yes. illuminate backs the home school educator throughout with the same resources, support and access that classroom teachers receive.
Can local government or community organisations run illuminateX?
Yes. illuminate has supported council and community-based programs using the illuminateX framework. Talk to us about adapting the challenge brief and program structure to fit your community’s priorities.
What is the illuminate The Day add-on and do we need it?
The illuminate The Day add-on is optional. It pairs a face-to-face illuminate workshop with the classroom program – either to launch illuminateX at the start of the term or to close it at the end. Many schools find it adds significant energy to the program. It is not required for illuminateX to work well.
Are STEAM and Agribusiness versions available now?
Yes. Both adaptations are available now. Talk to us about which version fits your students and your context.