Entrepreneurship & Design

Courses in Entrepreneurship and Design prepare students for college and life by giving them opportunities to use creativity and practical intelligence to solve emerging real-world problems. We aim to equip students with a design-thinking mindset that emphasizes the skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing professional landscape. As educators, we assert that young people are inherently curious individuals with an endless capacity to learn and grow. With industry input, we implement an evolving curriculum which provides students the most up-to-date skills necessary to succeed in the world beyond the classroom. In the Middle School, Seattle Academy students take one trimester of Design Thinking in 6th and 7th grades. All Upper School students take a course titled Foundations in Design Thinking and can choose from a broad range of related electives that expose them to more advanced topics in both design and business.

Business Plan Competition

The Seattle Academy Entrepreneurship Club held its first Business Plan Competition in 2022. This was a hackathon-style competition where students were given information pertaining to a theme at the start of the event as well as some basic requirements. The teams had two and a half hours to create a full-fledged business idea including a name, logo, marketing strategy, analysis of competitors, and a financial plan. The competition culminated in the teams delivering a seven-minute pitch to a panel of judges.

Entrepreneurship & Design at SAAS FAQ

How does this program prepare students for life?

What content is taught in Entrepreneurship & Design?

Students are taught skills that encourage an entrepreneurial mindset. They apply the content they’ve learned in all aspects of school as well as their own life experiences to tackle problems uniquely and successfully. Course content includes design thinking strategies as well as elements of business. Some hard skills that all students are introduced to are CAD (computer-aided design), 3D-printing, laser-cutting, and prototyping.

Why are courses included in the graduation requirements at SAAS?

After speaking to industry professionals over the years about skills they wish their young employees exhibited more of, the answers overwhelmingly came down to the “soft skills,” such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. We at SAAS believe that in order for our graduates to match or exceed the pace of change in the world, one must be proficient in these essential skills.

Entrepreneurship & Design

Business Plan Competition

Design

Collaboration

Process

Relevant