What is an
"Enterprise" Project ?
Sadly, this has nothing to with the NCC-1701, James T Kirk or Mr Spock !
This is all about generating income ... making money to cover the costs of some of the activities we have planned, and to cover some of the costs for things we have already done.
This might seem 'tight' but think about the skills and values that children could learn from carrying out a similar activity.
"Education Scotland believes that, in the next decade, we will change how we view entrepreneurship. 'Young people', it says, 'need to be prepared for a world which is changing rapidly. Many of the jobs they will do when they leave school do not yet exist and they will probably have several jobs during their lifetime'. Schools should give learners opportunities to think and act in enterprising ways, and develop skills essential for business, such as solving problems, making decisions and assessing risks. According to Forbes, these are the skills employers most seek in graduates, along with the ability to talk to people inside and outside an organisation."
(https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/why-should-children-learn-about-social-enterprise, 2016)
Even from a young age, children can be involved in making things and selling them. Older children can be involved in providing a service to the public, and receiving payment for doing so, payment which funds resources and activities. If the children are aware of the result of their efforts, and of the benefits gained from their endeavours, they develop a healthy approach to work, and a positive mindset in relation to their ability to succeed.
Mindset and Emotional Resilience
This is because, with appropriate guidance and support, emotional resilience also improves. They become aware of the need to produce a quality product or provide a quality service, and so undertake a form of quality control, a 'self audit' of their own contributions. With support if necessary, they learn that what they perhaps didn't quite get right on their first or second attempts, they can, with practice, develop the required skills to get it right on subsequent attempts. They learn they can 'bounce back' from failure, hopefully deriving a sense of pride and satisfaction from having done so, a feeling they will be keen to experience again, and so they will endeavor to always 'do their best '. The rewards (of the enterprise activity) ... the 'pot of gold at the end of the rainbow', may appear to be the activities or resources they gain from their efforts, but the real benefits of a well managed enterprise activity are the developments of healthy mindsets, and children who do not fall at the first hurdle.
Enterprise activities are not the only kind of activities where growth mindsets are promoted and emotional resilience develops, but is it recognised that the collaborative nature of some kind of 'reward based'* enterprise activity provides excellent opportunities for the development of these important skills and qualities.
*Reward based - this does not necessarily mean the child benefits materially from the activity. Working to be able to donate money to a charity, for example, can be the 'reward'.
Definitions
Growth Mindset : The belief that one can develop and improve skills and abilities through effort.
Fixed Mindset : The belief that skills and abilities are fixed and cannot be improved.
Emotional Resilience : The ability to bounce back after 'failure' and to to work through a difficulty so that you are left feeling more confident about your ability to cope with a similar situation in the future.
Enterprise Project
Building a Bottle Bird Feeder
Winter is an exciting time for children ... bonfire night and fireworks, fallen leaves, snow on the ground, and, of course, Christmas ! It is also, however, an excellent time to get children thinking about the challenges of winter for animals. With the long, warm days of summer giving way to the short, cold and damp winter days, animals can find it difficult to survive.
Some birds, of course, migrate to warmer climates to see the winter out, while
For this project, then, you are going to build a bird bottle feeder. For this you will be provided with all the materials and tools required, and some instructions.
Bottle Bird Feeder - Resources
To build the bottle bird feeder, you will need ...
Nails
Tools
Putting up your Bird Feeder
You can put your bird feeder in all sorts of places, but aim for somewhere:
Quiet – where birds won't be disturbed.
Safe – not too close to bushes where predators could hide in wait, but close enough to cover so that birds can easily dart to and from. Birds like to have a view all around them while feeding.
Sheltered from harsh winds.
Wherever you place your feeder, make sure you can see it when you’re indoors so you can get the most pleasure from it!
Bear in mind, it can take a little bit of time for the birds to get used to a new feeder, so don’t be disappointed if not many birds visit at first.
What should I feed birds?
Many birds will happily eat a variety of foods, but here are some of our top tips for feeding the birds:
Blackbirds mostly feed on the ground and will eat a broad range of foods, from suet nibbles to mealworms.
Blue Tits and Great Tits use a feeder, eating seeds as well as suet and peanuts.
Finches, including Chaffinches and Greenfinches, also use a feeder, and they love sunflower hearts.
If you’re keen to attract Goldfinches or Siskins, try Nyjer seeds as they both seem to love them. Nyjer seed is also popular with Greenfinches and Redpolls.
House Sparrows, Dunnocks and Collared Doves prefer to feed on the ground and will be attracted by small seeds.
Suet balls and other fat-based food bars are excellent high energy giving foods for winter and popular with a wide range of birds.
Mealworms are especially popular with Robins and Blue Tits and may attract other insect-eating birds such as Pied Wagtails.
Be sure to look for good quality bird food – those that don’t include ‘fillers’ such as dried peas and beans, red dari and wholewheat that birds rarely eat.
You can also put out leftovers such as dried fruit, or fruit such as apples and pears. Don’t use anything mouldy or salty though, and if you have a dog don’t put out dried fruit – vine fruits, such as raisins, can be toxic to them.