Co-Designing An Innovation & Entrepreneurship Subject With Students At Kenmore State High School

6 days ago
4 min read

What happens when you ask students to help design the way they learn?

That was the question at the heart of Kenmore State High School's redesign of Ken-X, the school's Years 7-9 innovation, entrepreneurship and STEM elective subject.

Rather than redesigning the subject behind closed doors, the school wanted to create a learning experience that genuinely reflected the interests, aspirations and learning preferences of the students who would participate in it.

To make this possible, Kenmore State High School partnered with BOP Industries to facilitate a student-led curriculum design process before working alongside the school to develop new learning experiences, resources and workshops that would bring the refreshed subject to life.

The result was a future-focused elective built around student voice, project-based learning, enquiry learning and design thinking, while providing a clear pathway for students to develop increasingly sophisticated innovation skills across Years 7 to 9.

At A Glance

School: Kenmore State High School

Location: Brisbane, Queensland

Year Levels: Years 7-9

Program Format: Curriculum co-design, youth advisory program, units of work and annual innovation workshops

Programs Developed:

Four-part Youth Advisory Program
XR Creators Unit of Work
Global Leaders Unit of Work
Future Cities Workshop
Social Enterprise Hackathon
Business Builders Workshop
XR Creators Workshop

Learning Focus: Student voice, project-based learning, enquiry learning, entrepreneurship, innovation, design thinking and STEM.

Starting With Student Voice

Before redesigning a single lesson, Kenmore State High School wanted to understand one thing:

How did students actually want to learn?

Instead of making assumptions, the school invited past, current and prospective Ken-X students to become active partners in redesigning the subject.

Across four Youth Advisory Workshops facilitated by BOP Industries, students explored questions including:

What topics excite you most?
How do you enjoy learning?
What skills do you want to develop?
How should learning be assessed?
What types of projects motivate you?
How would you like to showcase your work?

Rather than collecting ideas through a simple survey, students worked collaboratively to analyse themes, debate possibilities and develop practical recommendations for the future of the subject.

The process culminated in students presenting their vision to teachers, parents, industry representatives and tertiary education partners before refining their recommendations based on the feedback they received.

These insights were then compiled into a comprehensive report that helped guide the redevelopment of the Ken-X curriculum.

Turning Ideas Into Curriculum

The Youth Advisory Program didn't just generate ideas, it directly influenced what students would learn in the years that followed. Working alongside the school, BOP Industries developed two entirely new units of work that reflected the priorities identified by students during the consultation process.

The first, XR Creators, introduced students to emerging technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality and immersive storytelling. Students explored how extended reality technologies are changing industries before designing their own immersive experiences through project-based learning.

The second, Community Leaders, challenged students to investigate complex global issues while applying design thinking to develop innovative community solutions. Through collaborative inquiry, students explored sustainability, leadership and social impact while strengthening their research, communication and critical thinking skills.

Both units were intentionally designed to embed enquiry learning, design thinking and student-led projects, giving teachers complete resources that could be implemented directly within the Ken-X subject while still allowing flexibility for student interests and emerging ideas.

Supporting Learning Beyond The Curriculum

The partnership didn't finish once the curriculum had been written. Since the relaunch of Ken-X in 2024, BOP Industries has continued working alongside the school by delivering a series of one-day innovation workshops at the beginning of each term.

These workshops launch each new term's learning and give students the skills, inspiration and confidence to begin their projects.

Future Cities sees students step into the role of urban planners as they redesign communities for the future. Working in teams, they explore topics such as sustainability, smart technologies, transport, housing and public spaces before developing innovative city concepts that respond to the needs of future generations.

The Social Enterprise Hackathon challenges students to investigate social and environmental issues within their communities before designing purpose-driven businesses that create positive impact. Through design thinking and entrepreneurship, they develop sustainable business models that balance profit with social good.

Our Business Builders workshop shows students how their own skills, passions and interests can be turned into a business idea they could realistically launch. Across the workshop they explore customer research, branding, marketing and pitching as they transform an idea into a viable business concept.

XR Creators is designed to show students how virtual reality, augmented reality and immersive technologies are transforming industries around the world. They investigate real-world applications before designing their own XR experiences that educate, entertain or solve real problems.

These workshops provide students with an exciting launchpad into the term ahead, equipping them with practical skills and project ideas that they continue developing throughout the Ken-X subject.

Why This Partnership Worked

One of the most powerful aspects of the Ken-X redesign was recognising that the people best placed to shape the learning experience were the students themselves. Rather than asking students to adapt to a pre-designed curriculum, the curriculum was informed by the aspirations, interests and learning preferences of the students it was designed to serve.

Combined with ongoing collaboration between teachers and BOP Industries, the result is an innovation program that continues to evolve while remaining highly engaging, relevant and future-focused.

It demonstrates what's possible when schools move beyond simply delivering content and instead invite students to become genuine partners in designing their own learning.

Looking To Redesign Your Innovation Program?

Whether you're developing a new elective, refreshing an existing subject or looking to embed project-based learning across your curriculum, every school starts from a different place.

At BOP Industries, we partner with schools to co-design future-focused learning experiences that combine student voice, innovation, entrepreneurship and authentic project-based learning. From curriculum development and youth advisory programs through to classroom resources and professional learning, we help schools create programs that inspire students while preparing them for the future.

If you're exploring how to redesign learning for the next generation, we'd love to start that conversation.

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