Not every young person is going to follow the traditional path into the workforce, and we believe that they should be supported in the way that works for them as they explore their options. Our human-centered approach to program design has tested and retested a number of scenarios and resulted in the creation of a suite of activities, tools, specially structured work areas, individual and group-based learning, visual and verbal instruction processes, and tailored mentoring and encouragement.

In 2015, Lighthouse launched the award-winning1 Teen Start-Up Camp, a fully immersive program to foster the creative and problem-solving skills of young innovators. Delivered in a number of formats; teams are formed, ideas are developed for products and services that tackle problems their generation will face. These are then presented to a panel of industry experts.

The premise behind Teen Start-Up Camp is that not only do young people learn differently, but they also need different skills to what was needed 20 years ago. Our programs create an immersive environment and focus on developing the skills highlighted in the 'General Capabilities' section of the Australian School Curriculum, including creativity, problem solving and the ability to work collaboratively. These skills are crucial for innovation and entrepreneurship and can assist even the most noticeable outlier find their passion project or career path. Participants are never told what problem to solve or what solution to focus on, but rather are given access to subject matter experts to help them understand issues and develop context. This helps participants develop the idea that is important to them.

Teen Start-Up Camp has been run in a number of different formats: as a school holiday program; delivered in-school over several days; and as a term-long series of workshops to complement the curriculum. Topics covered so far include

• Aviation and aerospace - addressing problems and opportunities in these sectors ranging from logistics and transport through to accessibility and emergency response.
• People Power – looking into the political process and how we as individuals can influence that process.
• Social Impact – looking at how we as individuals' impact on the greater community and the environment.

Lighthouse has worked with at number of different schools and institutions to deliver Teen Start-Up and each partnered program is tailored to meet the specific needs of participants. To date we have worked with the Australian Defence Force Academy (The Science of Everyday), Museum of Australian Democracy (People Power), Daramalan College (Science as a basis for business) and Burgmann Anglican School (Sustainable Cities).

In developing the Teen Start-Up program, Lighthouse has sought and received feedback from various educators in the school, tertiary and VET sectors to ensure that we are emphasizing the right issues and skills.