Achievers International Launch Event 2008

Fri, 13/02/2009 - 12:12 — editor

UK - German joint event: Enterprise Education Trust used Enterprise Week 2008 to launch Achievers International programme.

UK-German Connection and the Enterprise Education Trust joined forces during Enterprise Week 2008 to run an event celebrating the launch of Achievers International. Achievers International is a year-round, online project encouraging international trade between partner schools. As part of the project, students and teachers form a company and then import and export goods with a school abroad. Joint enterprise and trade projects not only develop participants’ business skills, but also their intercultural awareness, and can lead to further involvement in the development of youth relations.

The launch event took place at both the German Embassy in London, and the British Embassy in Berlin! There was a live link-up via web cam, allowing guests to see what students and teachers were doing at each location. Students from Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls in London and Sophie-Charlotte-Oberschule in Berlin, who are partners in Achievers International, even traded places so they could meet face to face. They made inspiring presentations and displayed their products to guests, even making a few sales!

Keynote speeches were delivered in Germany by Sir Michael Arthur, British Ambassador to Germany, and in London Cord Meier-Klodt, the Head of Culture and Education for the German Embassy and Chairman of the Trust, Sir Paul Judge.

David Millar, CEO, Enterprise Education Trust says: ‘’Global Entrepreneurship Week gave us the perfect opportunity to launch Achievers International to a worldwide audience. Our international enterprise programme allows students to not only trade products with other students around the world, but gain firsthand experience of running a business in an international environment. The links to other cultures help to connect young entrepreneurs across the globe, unleashing ideas and celebrating entrepreneurship.’

What Happened Next?

Following their initial partnership in September 2008 and involvement in the Achievers International launch event during Global Entrepreneurship Week, Skinners’ and Sophie-Charlotte have grown to have a successful school link.

During the exchange trips, the students were able to meet each other face to face and discuss their businesses. Samples of potential products to trade were viewed (and tasted!) and the students went home with product catalogues to research what their potential customers might buy.

Both companies ordered and sent their first trade before Christmas, with Skinners’ importing Corny Cereal Bars and Ritter Sport German Chocolate and Sophie-Charlotte importing various flavours of Walkers Crisps and a selection of Cadbury’s Chocolate. Both student companies sold their goods at school and had sold all of the products in a matter of days!

In the New Year, the schools continued to keep in regular contact with each other. Skinners organised further fundraising events such as a non-uniform day and bake sale to help generate a healthy bank balance which they can use as capital to run the business and buy their products.

Currently the students are trading for the second time having ordered and sent packages to each other. They anticipate that the demand will again be high for their imports and expect to sell out quickly. Following this they will balance their books and work out what profits they have made!

Both schools will be continuing their partnership next year and have already signed up younger students to work for the companies and take over from the older students as they move up. They are also keen to conduct an exchange again to help strengthen their partnership.

Selda Kurtuldu, Achievers Teacher Coordinator at Skinner’s said: “Achievers International has been a great opportunity for the students to not only learn about running a business, but also develop international links and learn about other cultures. It has helped to add a global dimension and broaden their horizons, whilst teaching them some of the fundamental skills of enterprise and world trade.”