In every community, two forces are working toward the same outcome – better futures. Schools are shaping the next generation’s skills and character. Social enterprises are solving local problems with business discipline and social purpose. When these two worlds connect with intention, young people don’t just learn about impact – they learn how to create it.

That’s the promise at the heart of “Inspiring Future Changemakers: Schools & Social Enterprises in Collaboration,” an online session exploring how Foróige’s NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) programme can act as the bridge between classrooms and community action.

When learning meets purpose, confidence follows – and communities change faster.

The gap we need to close

Classrooms excel at teaching core knowledge, but students also need spaces to practice real decision-making: identifying needs, testing ideas, budgeting, pitching, getting feedback, and iterating under constraints. Meanwhile, social enterprises need fresh perspectives, proximity to youth, and new pathways to long-term community engagement.

The gap isn’t about goodwill; it’s about structure. Schools need simple, credible frameworks to engage safely and meaningfully with outside organisations. Social enterprises need a clear, low-friction way to participate without derailing their day-to-day operations. NFTE provides that common operating system: a proven entrepreneurship curriculum that plugs directly into school timetables while opening doors to real-world collaboration.

Why NFTE is a smart catalyst

Entrepreneurship, done right, isn’t about “starting a business.” It’s a vehicle for building agency. NFTE’s approach helps young people:

• Spot problems worth solving in their own communities

• Work in teams with clear roles and accountability

• Build prototypes, test with real users, and adapt

• Communicate value – succinctly, persuasively, and ethically

When social enterprises partner with NFTE classrooms, projects become more than simulations. Students can co-design micro-campaigns, test service ideas, or map local needs – giving the enterprise insight and giving students a felt sense of contribution.

What collaboration actually looks like

Forget vague partnerships. The most successful school–social enterprise collaborations are concrete and time-bound. For example:

• Briefs & design sprints: A social enterprise poses a real challenge (e.g., “How might we reach first-time volunteers in X area?”). Students research, ideate, and pitch back solutions within two weeks.

• Mentored build cycles: Over a term, small teams prototype assets – survey instruments, outreach messages, simple landing pages, and present results with data.

• Impact storytelling: Students collect and edit stories from the enterprise’s beneficiaries (with consent and safeguarding), turning them into short videos or case cards that the organisation can use.

• Community days: A joint event where students demo projects, the enterprise recruits volunteers, and families see practical pathways for youth involvement.

All of this slots neatly into NFTE’s framework, giving teachers a scaffold and enterprises a clear rhythm of engagement.

Who benefits, and how

Students gain confidence, real feedback, and CV-ready achievements grounded in local relevance.
Teachers get a living curriculum that makes enterprise and citizenship education tangible.
Social enterprises gain tested ideas, youth insights, and content they can deploy immediately.
Communities see young people not as “future leaders” but as present-day contributors.

Crucially, this isn’t extra work for already stretched schools or organisations. With a shared structure, the collaboration saves time: no need to reinvent curriculum, resources, or safeguarding processes.

Why this moment matters

Civic trust and local resilience are built through participation. Young people are eager to help, but they need on-ramps that are safe, practical, and respected by both education and community sectors. A session focused on NFTE’s model does more than inspire; it shows how to start in the next school term – who to call, what to propose, and how to measure success.

Inside the session

Over 90 minutes, attendees will explore:

• How NFTE works inside schools – and why it’s compatible with busy timetables

• Real examples from teachers and social enterprise practitioners

• Practical ways for organisations to participate without heavy lift

• A Q&A to unblock your next step, not just your curiosity

You’ll leave with a simple blueprint you can put on one page and share with your principal, your board, or your team.

How to get the most value from attending

Come prepared with one real challenge (or opportunity) and one constraint (budget, time, capacity). During the session, map your first 12-week pilot:

1. Define the challenge (student-friendly, measurable).
2. Pick the format (brief, sprint, mentored cycle).
3. Agree success signals (what would make this worth repeating?).
4. Set dates and owners (teacher lead, enterprise contact, student roles).
5. Plan the showcase (so momentum doesn’t fade).

With this in hand, you’ll be ready to move from interest to action the very next day.

Start small, start now

The perfect partnership plan is the one you can actually run this term. One class, one enterprise, one challenge, done well, will teach more than a dozen assemblies ever could. That’s how changemakers are made: not by telling young people they’re the future, but by inviting them to shape the present.

If you’re serious about turning learning into local impact, be in the room. This 90-minute session gives you a blueprint you can run this term—one class, one enterprise, one measurable win.

Join the event:

Inspiring Future Changemakers: Schools & Social Enterprises in Collaboration