Beyond the Classroom: Helping Young People Make the Most of the School Holidays
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
School holidays are an important chance for young people to switch off, recharge and enjoy some well-earned downtime. But they can also be a great opportunity to explore something new.
Away from timetables, assignments and everyday school routines, students have more freedom to follow their interests, experiment with ideas and discover skills or industries they may never have considered before.
Whether it is attending a workshop, starting a small project at home, meeting people working in an interesting industry or simply trying something creative, extracurricular experiences can help young people build confidence and curiosity while making their holidays feel purposeful.
Learning Beyond The Classroom
Some of the most valuable learning experiences happen when students are given an opportunity to actually do something with what they are learning. Rather than completing another worksheet or studying for an assessment, school holiday programs can give young people the chance to design, build, create, collaborate and solve real-world challenges.
They might spend a day developing a new brand, designing an innovative travel experience, building a business idea or learning directly from industry professionals. These experiences can also introduce students to interests they did not know they had. A student who enjoys Canva might discover an interest in graphic design. Someone who loves travelling might start thinking about careers in tourism or aviation. Another student might turn a hobby into their first small business. The holidays provide space to explore these interests without needing to immediately decide where they will lead.
Why Extracurricular Experiences Matter
Extracurricular activities do not need to be directly connected to a student's future career to be valuable. Trying something unfamiliar gives young people opportunities to practise communicating with new people, collaborating in teams, sharing ideas, solving problems and backing themselves when they are not immediately sure of the answer.
Just as importantly, it helps students learn more about what they actually enjoy.
Young people are constantly being asked what subjects they want to study, what career they might pursue and what they want their future to look like. Giving them opportunities to experience different industries, projects and challenges can make those decisions feel a little less abstract. Sometimes one workshop, conversation or project is enough to spark a completely new interest.
What's Happening These School Holidays In Brisbane?
This September 2026, BOP Industries is bringing together a range of hands-on opportunities for students across Brisbane. On 22 September, students in Years 6–10 can join The Creative Design Academy, a hands-on school holiday program exploring graphic design, illustration, branding and digital media.
Students will spend the day developing creative skills, experimenting with branding and content creation and learning more about the opportunities that exist across the creative industries.
Then on 29 September, students can step into the world of tourism, aviation and business through our Luxury Travel Designers program at the Flight Centre Travel Academy. Designed for students in Years 7–12, the program challenges participants to create their own luxury travel brand, choose destinations, develop an itinerary and design an unforgettable private jet experience before pitching their concept to Flight Centre representatives. Students will also gain behind-the-scenes exposure and hear from people working within the industry.
Both programs are designed to give students something different from a typical day at school: a chance to work on a real-world challenge, meet new people and explore an industry through hands-on learning.
Prefer To Build Something At Home?
Not every extracurricular experience needs to involve attending a full-day program.
For students who would rather work independently, families can also explore our growing collection of student activity packs, toolkits and projects.
Our student resources are designed to help young people explore interests including entrepreneurship, innovation, career development and design thinking from home. Current resources include the Young Professional's Toolkit, Business Builders Activity Pack and Young Entrepreneurs Launch Pack, alongside other future-focused challenges and resources.
For aspiring young entrepreneurs, the Business Builders Activity Pack takes students through the process of developing a business idea, understanding customers, researching competitors, pricing products, preparing for launch and pitching their idea.
These can be great holiday projects for students who already have a hobby or idea they would like to explore, or simply want something creative to work towards during the break.
See our activity packs here: www.bopindustries.com/resources
Helping Your Child Get Involved
The best place to start is with their interests.
Rather than asking "What holiday program do you want to do?", try asking what they have been curious about lately.
Do they love designing things? Building businesses? Sport? Technology? Travel? Making videos? Drawing? Gaming? Meeting new people?
From there, look for experiences that allow them to explore that interest in a practical way.
It does not need to become their future career, and they do not need to be the most experienced person in the room. The goal is simply to give them opportunities to try things, meet people and learn a little more about themselves along the way.
Make These Holidays Count
A great school holiday should still include plenty of rest, time with friends and days where absolutely nothing is planned. But somewhere between the sleep-ins and downtime, there is also room for young people to try something new.
Whether that means joining us for a Brisbane school holiday workshop, downloading an activity pack, starting a side hustle, exploring a future career or spending a day working alongside industry professionals, there are plenty of ways to turn a small interest into a meaningful experience.
At BOP Industries, our goal is to give young people opportunities to explore what is possible, build confidence in their ideas and gain experiences that make the future feel a little more exciting.
Want to get involved these school holidays?
Explore our upcoming student events and school holiday programs, browse our student activity packs and resources, or get in touch with the BOP Industries team to find the right opportunity for your young person.
See our upcoming events here: www.bopindustries.com/events
Interested in finding out more about our Programs, Hands-On Resources, or Teacher Professional Development? Head to this link to find out more information!
About The Author:
Coby Lee is the Head of Partnerships and Growth at BOP Industries, where she leads strategic collaborations that connect education and industry to create meaningful opportunities for young people. With a background in Business Management and Psychology and currently completing her Master of Education, Coby is passionate about empowering students to think entrepreneurially and build the skills needed for the future workforce.
Having studied internationally in the United States and Italy, Coby brings a global perspective and engaging facilitation style to her work. In her additional role as Young Entrepreneurs Hub Coordinator, she supports the delivery of programs and school incursions focusing on entrepreneurship, design thinking and the future of work, drawing on her own entrepreneurial journey as an author to inspire resilience, confidence and authentic leadership in the next generation.
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