Activate 2024

Key Info for Activate 2024 Teaching Teams

Welcome to Activate 2024.

On this page, you’ll find a summary of all key info relating to the program. It will be updated with all the latest info on key events and activities as it’s released, and we’ll also update all Activate teachers via email. But, if you ever get stuck, or can’t find a key date or document, this is a great place to start looking. You might want to add it to your bookmarks.

Of course, in the immortal words of U2, if you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, get in touch with our friendly team (meet them below!), or drop us a line at hello@futureanything.com. We’re always happy to hear from you, and remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. If you’re thinking it, someone else probably is too!

Curriculum + Teacher PD/Support
Activate Links, Surveys & Resources
Activators: Your Entrepreneur in Residence
Key Activate Dates 2024
School Showcases FAQ
National Finals FAQ

Stay in touch!

Nicole Dyson

Founder & CEO

Email NicMeet with Nic

Jess Roberts

Director of Operations

Email Jess

Activate Rapid Check In

How are you travelling with Activate right now? Everything going swimmingly or come up against a curly question?

Click below to let us know! If you need support or would just like to bounce some ideas around, we’ll be in touch ASAP.

Key Program Dates 2024

  • PASSED: Activate 2024 Professional Learning events (Brisbane, Adelaide, Mackay & online)
  • ASAP: Activate Key Contacts should complete the  Teacher Contact Details Form here 
  • ASAP: Activate Key Contacts should book their Induction Call (read more here)
  • PASSED – National Finals applications open (read more here)
  • PASSED 18 September 2024: National Finals 2024 applications close (read more here)
  • PASSED: Future Anything Educator Awards 2024 nominations open (read more and nominate here)
  • PASSED : 18 October 2024:  Future Anything Educators Awards 2024 nominations close (read more and nominate here)
  • PASSED: 22 & 24 October 2024: National Semi Finals  – live online (read more here)
  • PASSED 19 November 2024: National Grand Final 2024 – live in Brisbane & online (read more here)
  • NOW: Activate Curriculum available in Thinkific (read more here or sign in here)
  • Term 1/2/3/4 2024:  Deliver Activate in your classroom(s)
  • Term 1/2/3/4 2024:  Connect with your Activator ASAP after your intro has been made (read more here)
  • Week 9/10 of your Activate Term: School Showcase (read more here)
  • NOW – Registration for Activate 2025 is now open – with a special discount available to all Activate alumni schools. Read more here.

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About Activate – Curriculum + Teacher Support

What is Activate?

Activate is Future Anything’s flagship in curriculum program that embeds future capabilities and integrates fully with mainstream curriculum delivery across many subject streams.

Teaching teams are supported with extensive and personalised professional development, comprehensive lesson materials, suggested formative and summative assessment tools, plus ongoing, real-time support that enriches the experience for educators, students and their school community.

Activate culminates in an exciting national pitching competition where the best student-led enterprises can win the funding and support to take their ideas out of the classroom and into the real world.

In 2023, over 5600 students in schools across Australia were part of Activate and 2024 is shaping up to be even bigger!

Activate Subject Streams

Activate includes eight engaging, curriculum aligned subject streams as well as the exciting option to create your own stream.

Primary Streams:

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, LOCAL MARKET, LOCAL CHANGEMAKER STREAMS: Focussing on developing either a product to sell at a local market or or an innovative ideas that will make change in your community, these streams are specifically designed for upper Primary students. Read the Unit Overviews in the Resources section below.

Secondary Streams:

ENTERPRISE STREAMS: Delivered most often in Economics and Business, Design Technology, and Religious Education (Service Learning) classrooms, Enterprise streams support students to ideate, prototype and pitch innovative and financially viable solutions. All Enterprise Streams can also be assessed as a portfolio submission. Read the Unit Overviews in the Resources section below.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) STREAMS: Delivered most often in Humanities, Design and Digital Technology, STEM, and Health & Physical Education classrooms, these streams are based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and support students to ideate, prototype and pitch innovative ideas that make their world a better place. Read the Unit Overviews in the Resources section below.

All schools:

CREATE YOUR OWN STREAM: Got a wild idea for something completely different? Let us help you to build a bespoke unit of curriculum for you and your students. Fully resourced, curriculum aligned and with all the perks of being an Activate school.

Accessing Activate Curriculum & Content: Thinkific

The curricula for Activate 2024 streams will be available soon.

Each subject stream curriculum includes detailed lesson plans, resources, bespoke case studies, assessment tools, and more and are accessed via our online platform, Thinkific.

When your school has a) completed the Teacher Contact Details form and b) paid your Activate 2024 invoice, every Activate teacher will receive an email* with their own personalised Thinkific log in details, giving you your own  dashboard through which you access all curriculum content and measure your progress through the program.

Click here to log in to Thinkific.

* If you have not received access to Thinkific, please check your junk folder for an email from “noreply@notify.thinkific.com”. If you still can’t find it, or are have issues logging in, just drop us a line to hello@futureanything.com. Please note that your school’s Activate invoice must be paid and the Teacher Contact Details form been completed to receive access to Thinkific.

Activate Teacher Professional Learning Workshops

Professional development is at the heart of Activate and we went BIG in 2024 with a series of in-person and online events:

  • Wed 14 February 2024: BRISBANE Turrbal & Jagera Land
  • Mon 26 February: MACKAY Yuwibara Land
  • Thu 29 February 2024: SYDNEY Cammeraygal Land
  • Mon 4 March 2024: ADELAIDE Kaurna Land
  • Wednesday 27 March: LIVESTREAM VIA ZOOM
  • Tuesday 14 May: Emerald (for Bright Minds schools only)
  • Thursday 16 May: Dysart (for Bright Minds schools only)
  • Friday 17 May: Capella (for Bright Minds schools only)
  • Wednesday 29 May: LIVESTREAM VIA ZOOM

While our extensive program of in-person and online professional learning workshops for Activate 2024 are now complete, you can still access recordings of the key sessions. You’ll see these when you log in to Thinkific so do check them out before you start delivering the program!

Ongoing Activate Support & Coaching

Everything you need to deliver Activate can be found in your subject stream course in Thinkific or here on this info page.

However, we know sometime tricky questions occur or you just need to run through something with a real live human.

If you want to unpack a particular activity or lesson, chat through ideas for your showcase, check in on program logistics, or it’s something else altogether, our friendly team is on hand before, during and after Activate.

Reach out to Kate Clauson (Head of Curriculum & Partnerships, and font of all Activate knowledge) by email at kate@futureanything.com or lock in a time that works for you for a chat in her calendar here.

Activate Induction/Kick Off Call

We invite all Activate Key Contacts to register for a bespoke induction or ‘kick off’ call with our expert Activate team.

For new Activate schools, this our chance to get to know each other and for hear about your aspirations for the program and ensure you’re across the key program logistics so you can start with a bang.

For returning Activate schools,  we’ll chat about what’s worked well for you in the past, opportunities for program evolution  and any ‘wish list’ requests for 2024!

Most importantly for all schools, we’ll explore how we can support you to make Activate the best it can be for you and your students in 2024.

New Activate Schools: Book Induction Call Here
Returning Activate Schools: Book Kick Off Call Here

Educator Awards 2024

While the Activate celebrates innovative, scalable, and sustainable student enterprise ideas, it’s also a platform to celebrate YOU, our Activate educators.

The Future Anything Educator Awards recognise the teachers who’ve not only led Activate in their classroom but who have lived it through their own enterprising approach to teaching and learning.

Unveiled at the high profile Future Anything National Grand Final in November, winners shared in over $10,000 of prizes to support their schools’ entrepreneurial aspirations.

We send huge congratulations to everyone who was nominated or took out a winner’s spot in this year’s awards. It’s a wonderful achievement and is a testament to the incredible work happening in Activate classrooms across Australia and New Zealand.

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Activators – Your Entrepreneur in Residence

What is an Activator?

Every school can opt in to be matched with an Activator – think of them as your very own ‘Entrepreneur in Residence”.

Drawn from the worlds of innovation, business, science and social entrepreneurship, our Activators are all incredible humans who have volunteered their time to support Activate 2024 teachers and students as your mentors, sounding boards, and cheerleaders.

All Schools will be introduced to your Activator via email prior to you delivering the program. To opt in to be matched, please complete the very short form here. 

Where possible, we match schools with Activators in their geographical region, but this will not be possible for all schools.

It is the responsibility of schools to proactively engage with their Activator.

We anticipate most Activator residencies will take place virtually (via Teams or Zoom). If practical, you may wish to invite your Activator into to school.

Activators have volunteered up to 5 hours in one school term. Schools should work with their Activators to allocate this time however works best for you both. We anticipate that most schools will engage with their Activator(s) in Week 7 and/or 8 of their Activate term a while students are refining their ideas and developing their pitches.

Activators have been briefed on the program and we’ll ensure they have the necessary permissions to work with your young people.

How do we work with our Activator?

We anticipate that most schools will work with their Activators during week 7 and/or 8 of their Activate experience, arranging for Activators to spend time with your students, listening to their business ideas/practice pitches, asking questions and providing constructive feedback to help them improve or pivot their thinking.

Other ways you could work with your Activator(s) include:

  • Arrange a short workshop or invite them to lead a discussion on topics relating to their experience or area of professional expertise
  • Involved them in a school-wide assembly, Q&A or panel discussion
  • Invite them to be a judge at your school’s showcase event
  • Work with them to leverage their connections to wider innovation/industry ecosystems to connect you and your students with people or places that help them progress their ideas further.

How do we get an Activator?

Think of your Activator as your own ‘entrepreneur in residence’, a super-supportive sounding board for your students’ innovative ideas.

To be matched with an Activator, schools must ‘opt in’ via the very quick form here.

This ensures both the school and the Activator have an epic experience!

Meet the 2024 Activators

We have over a diverse mix of brilliant humans volunteering their time to support Activate schools, teachers and students in 2024.

Meet the Future Anything 2024 Activators here!

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School Showcases FAQ

What is a Showcase?

A School Showcase is every school’s own ‘shark tank style’ pitching and/or trade show or marketplace event held at the conclusion of their Activate program.

These events are fantastic for engaging your local community in your incredible classroom work, and it also breaks down the transactional nature of assessment – allowing students to celebrate their final product and share their learning with a broader audience.

Check out our Showcase Resource Pack here (PDF) for ideas, inspiration and templates! 

When should we run our Showcase?

You can arrange your own Showcase at a time that works for your students and your school community.

Most schools run it either in the last week of the Term they’ve delivered the program in, or the first week of the following Term while it’s fresh in students’ minds.

Does Future Anything run our showcase?

No, each school runs their own event at a time and with a format that works for them. But, we’re here to help!

Use the tips and templates in our Showcase Resource Pack and, of course, reach out if you’d like to chat your ideas through, we’d love to help out and hear what you’re planning!

You can email us at hello@futureanything.com or contact your school’s Future Anything Program Manager.

How do I organise a Showcase?

Check out our Showcase Resource Pack here (PDF) for ideas, inspiration and templates! 

Do reach out to the Future Anything team when you start planning your showcase. We’d love to chat through your ideas and support you in your planning. We’ll also come along on the big day if we can!

You can email us at hello@futureanything.com or contact your school’s Future Anything Program Manager.

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National Finals FAQ

About the National Finals

Activate culminates in a national competition to find the best student-led enterprises and for them to win the funding and support to launch their ideas into the real world.

The National Semi Finals 2024 took place on Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 October 2024 – read about the outcomes here.

The National Grand Final 2024 took place place in Brisbane and live online on Tuesday 19 November – read about the outcomes here. 

The winners took home prizes in cash and support worth over $110,000! Huge congratulations to all schools, teachers and students who were involved at all stage of the National Finals 2024.

When are the 2024 National Finals?

The National Semi Finals 2024 will be held online on Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 October 2024.

There will be eight one-hour Semi Finals spread over two days with a total of 40 teams pitching live online.

Check out all the details of the National Semi Finals 2024 here.

The National Grand Final 2024 will be held in Brisbane (and livestreamed via YouTube) on 19 November 2024.

Which students can apply for finals?

While is it not compulsory for students to apply for finals, we strongly recommend that ALL Activate students apply. The process of creating and refining their pitch, and sharing their with judges and audience in the real world is extremely rewarding.

Any Activate student (or team of up to 4 students) can apply.

They do NOT have to have won your school showcase to apply for National Finals.

In fact, often, the judges in our finals select very different winners to those chosen by teachers or in school showcases.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE ANYTHING NATIONAL FINALS 2024 ARE NOW CLOSED !

Who is included in the finals? How do students apply?

All students can apply for the National Finals 2024.

40 teams will be selected to pitch in the National Semi Finals (online via Zoom).

A further 10 teams will be selected to go straight to the National Grand Final Showcase Expo.

The Winner from each Semi Final then progress to pitch live in the National Grand Pitch Final for the chance to be crowned Future Anything Grand Final Winner 2024! The Runner Up from each Semi Final progress to the National Grand Final Showcase Expo

APPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE ANYTHING NATIONAL FINALS 2024 ARE NOW OPEN!

Click here to read more and to access the online application form. 

Applications are open until 5pm AEST on Wednesday 18 September 2024.

What are the prizes?

Prizes for 2024 will be announced closer to the National Finals.

In 2023, the prize pool included funding, mentoring, branding/website support, a corporate adventure retreat and lots more support to help students launch their ideas into the real world. The total prize pool was worth over $60,000!

What are the logistics for teams pitching in the National Semi Finals?

If you have a team (or teams!) pitching in the National Semi Finals, congratulations!

The National Semi Finals take place in eight sessions live online on Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 October 2024 (four sessions each day).

Teams participate via Zoom, and everyone else (your classes, school community, friends and family can register to receive the livestream link to watch the event live on YouTube here.

Everything you and your Semi Finals pitching teams need to know is in the National Semi Finals Event Info Pack here. 

This including important info including the Zoom link for pitching teams and important actions and deadlines including the mandatory Media Permission Form (teams will NOT be able to participate without returning this), how to book a personalised mentoring session,  and details on how and when to upload their slide deck. Please ensure you and your teams read this carefully as soon as possible.

 

What are the logistics for teams showcasing in the National Grand Final?

If you have a team (or teams!) showcasing at the National Grand Final, congratulations!

Showcase Teams will need to be present at The Triffid in Brisbane on Tuesday 19 November from 2.30pm to 9pm.
All showcase exhibits must be fully set up by 4pm at the latest.
All teams must be accompanied by one teacher/caregiver/nominated supervisor.
Students CAN sell their products at their Showcase stand. EFTPOS facilities will be available for students (more details on how to process payments in the Info Pack). Note, no cash will be accepted on the night.
All teams/schools are responsible for arranging their own travel/accommodation.

What are the logistics for teams pitching in the National Grand Final?

The winner of each of the eight National Semi Finals (taking place on 22 and 24 October) will progress to pitch at the National Grand Final at The Triffid in Brisbane on Tuesday 19 November. 

Pitching teams will be required to be present at the venue on the day from 12.30pm – 9pm. All teams must be accompanied by one teacher/caregiver/nominated supervisor. All teams/schools are responsible for arranging their own travel/accommodation.

Why did my team(s) not make it through to the National Finals?

In 2024, we received outstanding applications from over 600 school-age entrepreneurs from around Australia.

The standard of applications was (genuinely) higher than ever before with hundreds of brilliant ideas for innovative, scalable, and sustainable enterprises.

Unfortunately this meant that many applications were not successful. You can see the teams that make it through to the National Semi Finals here.

The shortlisting judges have shared some general feedback on the submissions here.

Students (and you) can use this feedback to reflect on your students’ submissions and see how they might have been improved.

Even if you don’t have students pitching int he National Semi Finals, watching these events with your class on either Tuesday 22 or Thursday 24 October is a great way for them to see other school-age entrepreneurs in action – click here to register for a free livestream ticket.

I have more questions about Finals. Can you help?

We sure can! Drop us a line at hello@futureanything.com any time!

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Key Activate Links & Resources

Unit Overviews

Lesson Plans, Curriculum & Resources

The curricula for Activate 2024 streams will be available soon.

Each subject stream’s curriculum includes detailed lesson plans, resources, bespoke case studies, assessment tools, and more and are accessed via our online platform, Thinkific.

When your schools has a) completed the Teacher Contact Details form and b) paid your Activate invoice, every Activate teacher will receive an email* with their own personalised Thinkific log in details, giving you your own  dashboard through which you access all curriculum content and measure your progress through the program.

Click here to log in to Thinkific.

* If you have not received access to Thinkific, please check your junk folder for an email from “noreply@notify.thinkific.com”. If you still can’t find it, or are have issues logging in, just drop us a line to hello@futureanything.com. Please note that your school’s Activate invoice must be paid and the Teacher Contact Details form been completed to receive access to Thinkific.

Activate Update Emails

We send regular updates and key program info to all Activate teachers by email in our Activate Update emails.

We know inboxes get busy and it’s easy to miss important info, so copies of all Active Update emails will also be posted below.

If you’re not receiving emails from Future Anything, please check your junk folder (they’re sent from ‘hello@futureanything.com’) or shoot us an email to hello@futureanything.com and we’ll re-add you to the Activate mailing list.

Pre- & Post Activate Teacher Surveys

We ask all educators (new and returning) delivering Activate to complete a short survey prior to commencing and after completing delivery of Activate.

We very much value input from educators. Your responses will help inform the development of the program in future to ensure it is as relevant and targeted as possible, and enable us to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the program.

Pre- & Post Activate Student Surveys

We ask all schools to have their students complete a short survey prior to commencing and after completing of Activate 2024.

This data is used to compile bespoke Benchmark (pre-program) and Impact (post-program) reports so that every school can see where their students started (and gain an understanding of which core competencies may need extra focus) and the change/impact Activate has has on their levels of confidence in the six core competencies.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS:

SECONDARY SCHOOLS:

Teacher Contact Details Form

All Activate Key Contacts should provide the direct contact details for their team teaching Activate 2024 via the short online form here as soon as possible.

UPLOAD ACTIVATE 2024 TEACHER CONTACT DETAILS HERE

This will enable Future Anything to provide every Activate teacher with personalised access to the correct online curriculum for their registered Activate subject stream via our online platform, Thinkific.

Access to the Activate curriculum will only be provides to schools that have both completed the Teacher Contact Details form and paid their invoice in full.

National Semi Finals Event Info Pack for Pitching Teams

Everything teams pitching in the National Semi Finals 2024 need to know is in the National Semi Finals Event Info Pack here. 

National Grand Final - Event Info Pack for Showcase Teams

Everything teams that are showcasing at the National Grand Final on 19 November need to know will be provided in the National Grand Final Showcase Event Info Pack coming here soon.

National Grand Final - Event Info Pack for Pitching Teams

Everything teams that are pitching in the National Grand Final on 19 November need to know will be provided in the National Grand Final Pitch Event Info Pack coming here soon.

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