The Illuminate Community Challenge has once again brought an extraordinary buzz of creativity, connection, and student-driven innovation to Allegra School. Over five dynamic days, our students immersed themselves in an entrepreneurial, design-thinking experience that asked them to imagine, develop, and pitch a wellbeing and engagement initiative for our school community. As always, the week highlighted the deep learning competencies at the heart of Allegra School as well as the passion and resilience of our young people.
A Celebration of Community Partnerships
One of the most powerful moments of the week was seeing so many families join us to support students as they shared their solutions during the final Showcase. The Demonstration Hall was filled with proud parents, carers, siblings, staff, and community members, all taking the time to listen as students explained the thinking behind their ideas, talked through their design process, and answered questions with newfound confidence.
We were also honoured to welcome our judging panel of community partners:
- Sam Stanford from Groundworks Youth and Family Hub
- Angie Laussel from The Counselling Space
- Melissa Hogan, former teacher and valued Allegra School Board member
Their presence, encouragement, and thoughtful feedback elevated the experience for our students, reinforcing the strong community partnerships that enrich learning at Allegra School.
Thanking Our Facilitators
A special thank you goes to Jessi Mostogl, who facilitated the Illuminate Challenge with skill, energy, and deep care for our learners. Jessi guided students through a fast-paced week of ideation, prototyping, financial modelling, and pitch development, ensuring they felt supported while maintaining the authentic demands of the entrepreneurial process. Our school community is genuinely grateful for the expertise and enthusiasm she brought to the experience.
Student Ideas That Shine
Every team produced a meaningful, creative, and practical idea designed to improve engagement and wellbeing at Allegra School. Their ideas demonstrated not only innovation but also a deep understanding of what students value in a supportive learning environment. This year, concepts included:
Healthy Eating and Life Skills Programs
A group passionate about wellbeing proposed a weekly cooking initiative, designed to promote healthy eating, build independence, and embed practical life skills into the school week.
Active and Movement Breaks for Regulation
Recognising the importance of self-regulation, another group designed structured movement-based breaks to support focus, emotional regulation, and readiness for learning.
Student-Created Sensory Journals
A team developed an idea for personalised sensory journals that can be used in class to support mindfulness, expression, and sensory needs.
Year 6 to High School Transition Program
“The Dogfish Hooligans” designed an exceptional transition program to support incoming Year 6 students as they move into high school. With a blend of peer mentoring, hands-on workshops, and personalised supports, this idea stood out for its clarity, feasibility, and positive community impact.
A Platform to Connect Like-Minded Peers
Another team created a concept for a digital platform designed to help students connect across interests, identities, and social groups, strengthening relationships and belonging.
Each idea reflected thoughtful research, empathy, and a desire to strengthen connection and inclusion at Allegra School. While the Dogfish Hooligans were named the overall winners, the judges emphasised that every team demonstrated exceptional quality in their pitch decks, communication, and final presentations.
Deep Learning in Action
Across the week, our students exemplified the deep learning competencies identified in our teaching and learning framework and embedded throughout the Illuminate program; the Challenge wass intentionally designed to build capabilities such as perseverance, collaboration, critical thinking, reflection, and creative problem-solving.
Students demonstrated:
- Grit and tenacity as they navigated tight deadlines, unfamiliar tasks, and rapid iteration
- Resilience in responding to mentor feedback and refining ideas
- Collaboration as they worked with students outside their usual friendship groups
- Character and citizenship as they created solutions with genuine community impact in mind
- Confidence as they pitched their business ideas to a panel of external judges
These competencies were on display in every pitch deck, prototype, and presentation.
Looking Ahead: Bringing Ideas to Life
One of the most exciting outcomes of this year’s Illuminate Challenge is the number of student ideas with real potential for implementation. As a school, we are committed to empowering student voice and turning meaningful ideas into action. We cannot wait to begin exploring how several of these concepts can be embedded into our programs and practices in 2026 and beyond.
The Illuminate Community Challenge continues to be a highlight of our learning calendar: a celebration of creativity, authenticity, and the powerful role students play in shaping the future of Allegra School.