Not ‘just another assignment’: Social impact challenge inspiring CQU students
When Mackay student Kira Battaia needed to tackle a problem for a CQUniversity assignment, she found one close to home.
“Ever since I’ve left school, so many times I’ve found myself saying, ‘why don’t I have any idea how to do any of the big adult things?’,” she laughed.
Challenges like tax time, or buying a first car, or needing a loan – the 21-year-old Bachelor of Business student wanted to know how and when young people learned these vital skills.
Her research found that like her, many were still in the dark.
Now, her neat idea for a solution has earned a CQUniversity award – and is inspiring Kira for a career driving social impact.
Practical innovation
Kira’s plan for NextStep Life Academy, a for-purpose business helping young people build practical life skills and work readiness, is the inaugural winner of CQUniversity’s Student Social Enterprise Awards.
The challenge, open to students in CQU’s Entrepreneurship Innovation and Start-ups unit, prompted a creative field of ideas across sustainable energy, health and wellbeing, waste reduction and upcycling, and community development.
School of Business and Law Lecturer Dr Jintao Zhang led the award initiative, to prompt innovative thinking to solve real-life problems.
“In the past, CQUniversity has supported students to enter external social enterprise challenges – but national opportunities have decreased, while students are still really passionate about using their skills and studies to make a difference,” Dr Zhang explained.
“Creating CQU’s Student Social Enterprise Awards gives students the opportunity to consider social impact, and explore how it can be part of a successful business idea.”
CQUniversity embeds social innovation and impact education across its entire curriculum, and is recognised as Australia’s first social enterprise university.
Experienced CQU social innovators Professor Olav Muurlink and Social Impact Lab Program Manager Steve Williams helped design the challenge, inspired the participants through a guest lecture, and judged the final entries.
“The award is about motivating students and helping them see the full potential of their ideas and contribution,” Dr Zhang said.
“By providing this supportive process, we help light the fire for tackling a social problem… and hopefully add more fuel to it!”
Kira earned a $500 prize for her idea and hopes she might shape NextStep Life Academy into a start-up after graduating.
The prize was supported by CQU’s School of Business and Law.
Student Social Enterprise Award runners-up were Bachelor of Business students Allaine Banday, Lori Stephen and Ben Christensen, who designed initiatives to reduce burnout and fatigue, engage community to address childcare shortages, and to reuse solar panels for increased access to affordable renewable energy.
Lori thanked organisers for the “meaningful competition”: “It was something special to create and voice a social concern in my community… It gave me encouragement to move forward with my ideas (and) was a step in the right direction for me personally and professionally.”
Flexible boost
Kira is no stranger to successful business, and has juggled her three-year degree with full-time work in her family’s business, All Metal Solutions.
“It’s been amazing to know I can get home from work and get through my units, and have the flexibility to study at my own pace, and submit work online,” she said.
While her plan for NextStep Life Academy began as “just another assignment”, she said the opportunity has been the biggest eye-opener of her studies.
“All businesses do start with trying to solve a problem, and it’s something I’m really passionate about,” Kira said.
“I’m incredibly honoured to have received this award, and to have the opportunity to combine entrepreneurship with a genuine passion for helping young Australians build practical life skills.
“Completing this assignment allowed me to apply the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my degree while turning an idea into a business with the potential to create a real social impact.”
Dr Zhang said he hopes to expand the award next year and is seeking industry sponsors to partner with the initiative.
“Just like entrepreneurship, the award isn’t a top-down challenge for students to fix something external to them – it recognises that students can understand the needs around them and can provide solutions when they have a voice.”
Explore CQUniversity’s social innovation education and initiatives at its Social Impact website.
