Emergent Thinkers™

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2024 (18-22 Nov) marked an exciting milestone for the Llanelli EntreComp School Cluster as they actively shaped their Harmonious Heroes journeys. Last week was dedicated to iterating and refining project ideas and brokering valuable connections, with schools developing inspiring themes that connect classroom learning with community impact.

This progress builds on months of groundwork and dedicated engagement through various training interventions, discussing ways to operationalise the EntreComp framework that align with Graham Donaldson’s Curriculum for Wales vision of fostering creative, enterprising contributors. The cluster schools – St. John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School with Swiss Valley Primary, Pentip Church in Wales VA Primary, and St. Mary’s Catholic Primary schools – are pioneering a seamless entrepreneurial learning journey from ages 3-16. Together, they have embraced whole-school interdisciplinary approaches, moving beyond theoretical understanding to forge meaningful community partnerships.

The emerging projects across our schools showcase impressive creativity and commitment to real-world challenges. Themes range from environmental sustainability and water conservation to heritage exploration and youth leadership initiatives. Schools are focused on developing innovative approaches to issues like fast fashion, waste reduction, and community wellbeing, each finding unique ways to connect classroom learning with local needs and resources.

What’s particularly exciting is how these projects are naturally attracting interest from local organisations and community groups. As new conversations and connections continue to be brokered, the potential for meaningful impact grows. The willingness of local partners to engage with our schools has been overwhelming, promising rich learning experiences ahead, and the list is far from complete.

The timing feels particularly significant as it follows our recent ISBE 2024 Award with my NAEL Cymru co-lead Professor Andy Penaluna for research on Wales’s entrepreneurial education pipeline.

This recognition validates our approach to embedding entrepreneurial competence frameworks into education. Now, through partnership with Llanelli Township, the Harmonious Heroes Project represents an exciting evolution, bringing these insights to life locally while being enriched by Harmonious Entrepreneurship values

While Christmas sits between now and our next phase, the momentum is still building. Emails and meetings are afire. Our June 2025 showcase at Llanelly House promises to celebrate these efforts, providing a platform for students and educators to highlight their achievements.

The journey ahead is one of collaborative innovation and shared purpose, as we continue fostering an entrepreneurial spirit that resonates across the broader Llanelli community. The dedication and creativity shown by our EntreComp cluster schools in embracing this journey has been truly inspiring. Each school has brought unique perspectives and energy to their projects, demonstrating how entrepreneurial learning can enrich both education and community life. From teachers and school leaders diving into EntreComp training, to community partners exploring new ways to connect with education, everyone’s openness to learning and growing together has created a vibrant ecosystem of opportunity.

As we look ahead to 2025, these foundations promise exciting developments for our young people and the wider Llanelli community.

Felicity