Big Ideas and Bold Futures: Year 7 High Abilities Class Takes on Social Innovators Program

Details: Published: 10 September 2025

What happens when you give young people the chance to dream big, tackle real-world challenges, and share their ideas with the community? You get three days packed with energy, creativity, and future leaders in the making!

Last week, our Year 7 High Abilities class took part in the Social Innovators program, an incredible learning adventure delivered in partnership with Crazy Ideas College. Across three days, 24 students stepped out of their usual classrooms and dived into fresh thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.

From brainstorming bold ideas to prototyping clever solutions, the students pushed themselves to look at problems in new ways. The excitement reached new heights when the program wrapped up with a lively Pitch Event. In front of community partners, educators, and families (with parents tuning in via live-stream), students proudly shared their projects and proved just how much can be achieved in only three days.

The range of ideas on display was nothing short of inspiring. From Ecosystem Bloom, an app blending the fun of Pokémon Go and Snapchat to encourage people to discover native plants in their local area, to DeskoBot, a customisable mini mentor bot designed to support young people in their learning, students showed no shortage of imagination. These projects highlighted their ability to think beyond the ordinary, connect with their community, and design creative solutions to real challenges.

Many students left the program feeling inspired and motivated to keep building on their ideas. Sharing his perspective, Year 7 student Vincent Whitehead said:

“…The program was amazing! From trying to help the community and the world, to the motivation we got to make it as good as we could and to build our idea to the best of our ability… It really helped me think outside the box and grow a wider sense of community.”

Community partners were blown away by the creativity and courage on display, offering feedback, encouragement, and even ideas for how these projects could grow beyond the school gates. By the end, the students were buzzing inspired by the real possibility of bringing their concepts to life.

For Curriculum and Pedagogy Assistant Principal Stacie Lundberg, the highlight was seeing students rise to the challenge:

“I was so proud of the way that the students engaged in the activities over the three days. The immersive program really allowed the students to showcase their creativity and collaborative skills, culminating in polished ‘pitches’ to local community partners. The students’ passion and knowledge for local and global issues was evident throughout their work.”

Community members were equally impressed. Leigh Johnson, Multicultural Liaison Officer at Shepparton Police, shared:
“It was wonderful to be part of the Social Innovators Pitch event. I felt the standard of the pitches, the confidence and the delivery of the teams, was amazing. The visual aids, the maturity of the topics and the passion for what was being presented shone through. It was great to see the students shine and a credit to the school, Crazy Ideas College, and the community partners. Particularly the students, I look forward to seeing some of the ideas take shape.”

Founder of Crazy Ideas College, Kieran Murrihy, summed it up perfectly:

“When young people are trusted with the tools and mindsets of innovation, they show us what’s possible. Their ideas and energy are exactly what’s needed to build thriving futures for themselves and their communities.”

It’s safe to say this is just the beginning, our students proved they have the imagination, resilience, and drive to shape the future, and we couldn’t be prouder.

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