Kid-preneur Metamorphosis
Young entrepreneurial caterpillars have begun to emerge from this session’s business cocoon as gorgeous and creative butterflies. Just like a butterfly must first struggle to break free from their cocoon before they can fly, learners have experienced the ups and downs of creating. All week learners have morphed from the big eyed idea stage of their businesses, to the stressful startup phase, to now these final session days of racing to fly before the deadline. Your butterfly must go through this metamorphosis, it is natural, although at times scary, and above all thrilling. For reference, the definition of metamorphosis is a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means. Your learner is morphing, transforming, and is so bravely super!
This week during a closing Launch in Spark I bubbled with puddles of happy tears as I listened to learners reflect. I asked “Who or what do you hope to transform into when you do hard work?” Learners shared “I want to be strong and transform into someone who helps other kids dream.” “I want to learn to be a hard worker and transform into a great entrepreneur, I worked hard today and I want to keep working hard so I can be successful and inspire other kids to reach for your dreams” “I want to be like Walt Disney and persevere and never give up on my dreams or my friends.” “If I work hard I’ll give cool stuff to the world and become famous.” These are the words of brave butterflies. This is how learners truly learn to thrive, they learn to learn what hard work means, they learn to do by making mistakes and trying again, and they learn to be as they reflect on the journey and chart their next flight path towards who they want to become.
The evidence of transformation is simple, learners aren’t just hearing about entrepreneurial heroes at school they are seeing themselves as heroes. This is a major thought shift worth recognizing. We’ve introduced entrepreneurial heroes such as Oprah, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, and many Kid-preneurs from Shark Tank, the Da’Bomb sisters, and even Me & the Bee’s Lemonade (an Acton learner). Every time we introduce another hero one learner always shares “wow, they are an entrepreneur just like me!” We all are heroes!
The final push is coming, the most exciting part of the Quest, the thrill of will you make it to the fair in time, can you rise to excellence, will you earn the badge? Are there any other learners that need your help? Perhaps you feel the excitement at home or perhaps you are helping your learner strategize or work through their nerves. A few words overheard from learners this week say it all, “I’m nervous but I’m also really excited.” “Exhibitions are special, the parents get to see our work and our awesomeness.”
As the Exhibition next week approaches I invite you to let go of any need for control, let go of perfect products, let go of high profit margins at the fair. Instead, watch your butterfly emerge. Resist the urge to coax them out of their cocoon and instead simply cheer them on and show up. Showing up is listening when they want to share or just physically being present as they work or when they present their masterpieces.
The colors of each and every Acton butterfly is unique, beautiful, and worth waiting for. These learners are finding their passions, their work ethic, and before we know it they will change the world. I’d gamble to say they already are changing, and I can’t wait to watch them fly!