USyd HEX Program

The University of Sydney partnered with HEX, an award-winning, for-impact EdTech provider, to run a program designed to give students the opportunity to explore learning beyond the standard curriculum, with a focus on career readiness and entrepreneurial thinking. In 2024, HEX formalised a School of Record partnership with the University of Sydney Business School, enabling approved courses to be recognised for academic credit. Fort Street was one of only a few schools invited to take part in the USyd-HEX program in 2025. Ten of our Year 10 students enrolled and completed the program, which focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, and AI futurist thinking, providing students direct engagement with industry leaders including Microsoft, the Australian Computer Society, and AI startups across Australia.

Students participated from October 13^th to November 23^rd attending weekly masterclasses with industry experts, live, each Tuesday afternoon, as well as having mentoring with industry professionals and USyd student ambassadors, including Fortian Edmund Derwent (double degree Medical Engineering/Law). Students were required to complete a number of tasks including a collaborative group project with interschool teams and present their pitch to academics from the USyd Business school, in order to receive the subject credit with the university.

At the completion of the course students were presented with certificates by Associate Professor Danika Wright at a special ceremony in the USyd Business school. Unfortunately not all the Fortians who completed the course were able to attend the ceremony due to other commitments.

Assoc Prof Wright commended the students on the university-level of academic achievement they had demonstrated and praised their ethical and social skills which she described as being even more important than sheer knowledge in navigating the future world of study and work. The host of the ceremony, Kristy Ryan, Manager Student Recruitment, praised the Fortians and thanked Fort Street for promoting this opportunity to our students.

Congratulations to these Fortians on taking up this opportunity and completing this challenging program!