The Ultimate Business Excursion With St Andrew's Lutheran College

Jul 8
3 min read

One of the most powerful ways to inspire young entrepreneurs is to let them experience entrepreneurship firsthand. Rather than simply learning about startups in a classroom, what happens when students spend time working alongside founders, innovators and business owners in a real coworking space?

That was the idea behind the Young Entrepreneurs Hub Experience at St Andrew's Lutheran College.

As a reward for the highest-performing teams in the school's Innovate and Create (IC) and Innov8 programs, St Andrew's wanted to create an experience that challenged students to think bigger about their ideas while exposing them to the world of startups, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Working alongside the St Andrew's team, BOP Industries designed a two-day experience hosted at WeWork in Brisbane City, giving students the opportunity to work in the same environment as entrepreneurs while participating in tailored masterclasses designed around the stage of their projects.

At A Glance

School: St Andrew's Lutheran College

Location: Brisbane, Queensland

Audience: Years 7-10 students

Program Format: Two-day Young Entrepreneurs Hub Experience

Learning Focus: Entrepreneurship, innovation, startup ecosystems and the future of work.

Learning Inside A Real Innovation Hub

From the moment students arrived at WeWork, the experience felt special. Instead of working from a classroom, students spent two days immersed in a professional coworking environment, surrounded by entrepreneurs, founders and growing businesses. They toured the space, explored how modern startups operate and gained insight into career pathways many had never previously considered.

Throughout the program, students heard directly from founders who shared their personal journeys, the challenges of launching a business and the lessons they had learned along the way. These conversations gave students an authentic understanding of entrepreneurship while demonstrating that successful businesses often begin with simple ideas and a willingness to take action.

A Program Tailored To Their Ideas

Rather than delivering a generic entrepreneurship workshop, BOP Industries worked closely with St Andrew's teachers to understand where students were in the development of their projects before designing the experience.

Across the two days, students participated in practical masterclasses covering product design, minimum viable products, social media strategy, pricing, budgeting, customer experience, networking and preparing for launch. Every workshop was selected to help students take the next step in developing ideas they had already begun exploring throughout the school year.

Building Confidence To Think Bigger

One of the most valuable aspects of the experience was giving students the opportunity to see themselves as future entrepreneurs.

Working alongside professionals in a real startup environment helped students realise that innovation isn't something that only happens in Silicon Valley or large corporations. It happens every day through people identifying problems, collaborating with others and bringing new ideas to life.

By the end of the two-day experience, students had refined their projects, strengthened their entrepreneurial skills and gained practical strategies they could continue applying as they developed their businesses beyond the classroom.

Why This Approach Worked

The Young Entrepreneurs Hub Experience demonstrated the value of connecting classroom learning with authentic industry environments.

By combining inspiring founders, tailored masterclasses and the opportunity to work within a real innovation hub, students developed a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship while seeing firsthand what their own future pathways could look like.

Rather than simply rewarding high-performing students with a gift card or box of chocolates, the experience gave them the confidence, networks and practical skills to continue turning ambitious ideas into reality.

Looking To Extend Entrepreneurship Beyond The Classroom?

For schools investing in entrepreneurship, innovation and STEM, rewarding students with authentic industry experiences can be just as valuable as classroom learning itself.

At BOP Industries, we partner with schools to design entrepreneurship experiences that connect students with founders, innovation hubs and startup communities. Whether it's a one-day immersion, a multi-day entrepreneurship experience or a year-long Young Entrepreneurs Hub, we help students experience what it's really like to build ideas that make an impact.

Get in touch with our team today: www.bopindustries.com/contact-us