The 2024 Stanbic National School’s Boot Camp has come to a close, leaving behind a trail of innovative ideas, entrepreneurial spirit, and a new generation of job creators. The five-day boot camp, hosted by Gayaza High School, brought together hundreds of students and their teachers to showcase their creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills.
The boot camp aimed to instill a mindset change among learners aged 13-18, equipping them with skills to become part of the solution to societal challenges. Through various training sessions, students learned about psychosocial/mental health, starting a small business, building a successful brand, marketing, and understanding customer needs.
During the market stimulation activity, students demonstrated their ability to drum up sales, showcasing their innovative business ideas. The program’s impact has been significant, with over 480,000 learners, teachers, and community members benefiting directly and indirectly since its inception.
Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited’s Chief Executive, Francis Karuhanga, expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Sports for supporting the initiative. He emphasized the need to reach millions of youths, not just thousands, and encouraged more schools to undertake this innovation quest.
The National School’s Championship, now in its ninth edition, runs under the theme ‘Empowering the job creators of tomorrow’ with the 2024 tagline ‘Powering Innovation for Job Creation.’ The competition has helped develop over 200 successful businesses, addressing youth unemployment and bridging the gap between education and job creation.
This year’s competition features four main categories: Student Grow Challenge, Student Spark Challenge, AlumGrow Challenge, and Teachinnovate for Teachers. The best group generated revenues of Shs260,000 and a profit of Shs210,000 from an initial Shs50,000, demonstrating the potential of these young innovators.
As the boot camp concluded, it was clear that the next generation of job creators is ready to make a mark. With the right skills, mindset, and support, they are poised to become people of value in society, driving innovation and entrepreneurship forward.
