First Nations entrepreneur program 'lights spark' for Bundaberg students
Lilliarna Kerr, 15, from Bundaberg in south-east Queensland has a clear career path mapped out as a registered nurse.
But as part of a group of First Nations students at Kepnock State High School, Lilliarna is also brainstorming ideas on ways to use her culture to help protect the ocean.
"Custodians of the Sea will help prevent pollution and educate older and younger generations about our ocean," Lilliarna said.
Lilliarna's not-for-profit business plan is one of the ideas mooted as part of the Lighting the Spark program, designed to make students culturally proud and encourage Indigenous entrepreneurs from an early age.
Working in groups, the students are taught about entrepreneurship and planning businesses that connect them to their identity, country and culture.
They are encouraged to discuss ideas that have the potential to make them the next Elon Musk, and celebrate 60,000 years of their culture.
Aruna Venkatachalam is from Young Change Agents, the social enterprise visiting the school to run the workshops.
The organisation teaches young people aged between 10 and 25 about the "design thinking process" which helps them identify consumer trends, problems and create solutions.
"Lighting the Spark is designed by and for First Nations communities," Ms Venkatachalam said.
"We teach them to look at problems in their community and try to see them as opportunities to develop businesses, to try to solve those problems."
The ocean-protecting eco-tourism business Custodians of the Sea is just one of the students' ideas.
They are also planing Indigenous plant aromatherapy and wearable art celebrating local totems and culture.
Ms Venkatachalam believes it's vital for young people to drive their own concepts.
"It's really important to listen to kids, especially First Nations young people because they are the custodians of the future," Ms Venkatachalam said.
"It's an opportunity for them to see what's going on around them, the challenges they are facing and break the cycle of disadvantage or the stories of what they have been told they are capable of.
"They are really capable of creating these businesses and making them happen."
Businesses being driven by First Nations Australians are proving to be worth billions of dollars to the economy.
Gross income from Indigenous businesses was calculated for the first time in 2018.
Researchers discovered the value of Indigenous businesses to the overall Australian economy was at least $4.88 billion.
The research also found the number of jobs has doubled between 2006 and 2018, to 22,000.
Money is not a motivator for the career path Ainslee-Rose Cook, 15, has chosen.
Ainslee-Rose is focused on working in health as a physician.
But the workshops have still proved to be a helpful tool.
"I get the entire focus is about a young person funding their own business, but I don't think that's what the overall takeaway should be," Ainslee-Rose said.
"I think it's less about the entire idea of funding a business and more about the ethics that you take away from it.
"The skills you often need to succeed in life are often the skills you need to succeed at school."
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