Charity begins at school

They are 18 years old and have been running their cupcake business for almost three years.

Brisbane twins Samantha and Kaitlin Stanton took the entrepreneurial plunge while in year 11 in December 2013 along with another student friend and started Miss Mixed Cupcakes.

"The business started with Instagram photos being posted of the cupcakes and it has grown from there," says Kaitlin.

With initial funding from their family, they set up the culinary business with a Facebook page and showed their products at the local Sunday markets. Two months later, they set up their website through which they take orders.

Australian schools are increasingly moving to introduce specialised entrepreneurship programs.

Like Frankston High School in Victoria, which last July started a composite class of 21 years 9 and 10 students to take them through the fundamental steps of entrepreneurship.

Frankston also students participated in the $20 Boss Program.

Students from every state and territory in Australia can avail of an in-school challenge called the $20 Boss Awards. Contestants are provided with $20 of start-up money to plan, budget and market their own business idea over a month.

The $20 Boss program has been developed by the Foundation for Young Australians in partnership with the National Australia Bank.

"That first cohort that went through that subject actually went on to win the most enterprising school in Victoria in 2015," says Shane Hunt, head of science at Frankston High.

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