HSIE Entrepreneurial Sustainability Start-Up Club

In 2026 I am excited to introduce the HSIE Entrepreneurial Sustainability Start-Up Club. The focus of this club is to give students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and skills to enter competitions run by industry and universities and possibly win prizes! This club is open to all students in Years 10-12 and students studying Commerce, HSC Business Studies and IB Business Management are especially encouraged to join. A huge thank you to HSIE teacher Vanessa Lam for leading this club.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Teacher Reflection

The HSIE Entrepreneurial Sustainability Start-Up invites students in Years 10-12 to bring their Commerce and Business knowledge to life through real world application and competition. This term, students will be preparing entries for the UPU International Letter Writing Competition, writing a letter to a friend about why human connections matter in a digital world. Students will plan, draft and refine their submissions during our weekly meetings every Friday at lunchtime in Room 325. Later in the year, the club will take on competitions including the Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition and, for Year 11 students, the University of Newcastle Future Entrepreneurs Challenge. The club allows students to strengthen their entrepreneurial thinking and engage in meaningful experiences.

Vanessa Lam
HSIE Teacher

Student Reflections

The HSIE Entrepreneurial Sustainability Start-up club creates many opportunities for students to put forward their ideas, follow their passions and become young entrepreneurs. It utilises critical thinking and allows collaborative work among different year groups, which is necessary in the many competitions that we as students plan to enter. I look forward to creating solutions, becoming an innovator and working with teachers to produce the best possible products for each competition.
Christiane Nikolaou
Year 10

As a young student and aspiring woman, this club provides an incredible opportunity for young people to pursue their ambitions and achieve meaningful goals. The Entrepreneurial Sustainability Start-Up Club empowers students to aim higher and turn their ideas into action, supported by dedicated teachers who guide us throughout the journey. Our first project for Term 1 is the UPU International Letter Writing Competition for Young People, which gives us the chance to share our perspectives on a global platform. I look forward to an inspiring term ahead and to participating in the many exciting projects this club has to offer.
Davina Rajkumar
Year 11

When the Entrepreneurial Sustainability Start-Up club was first introduced to me, I felt immediately intrigued, and after learning more about this club, I decided to give it a try. This club allows me to put myself in a position where I can gradually grow to be enriched deeper with new knowledge, especially through the termly competitions related to Entrepreneurial Sustainability. Just last week, we had our first meeting that outlined the UPU International Letter Writing Competition’s topic for this year: Why human connection matters in a digital world. With Ms Lam’s guidance, we were able to easily understand the asks of the competition, simultaneously sharing first ideas. So far, it has been quite interesting to research and discover the need for human connection and the gradual domination of the digital world over us, topics that are both extremely important and prevalent. I am truly looking forward to the coming sessions! 
Chloe Liu
Year 10