Project Compass

NEW Achieve a Challenge - Entrepreneurship

Responding to what girls are telling us

In October 2024 research undertaken by Girl Guides Australia (GGA) identified several topics that girls really care about. Body image, leadership and financial literacy were high on their list so GGA’s existing programs like Free Being Me, Guide Your Money and Fly Leadership programs really resonate. The research also highlighted that girls are eager to be their own boss, feel empowered in their careers and have equal opportunities in all jobs and positions.

 

Girls turning ideas into impact through business

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Carla Zampatti Foundation and the curriculum content expertise of Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship ACRE - creators Social Enterprise Schools - this International Women’s Day 8 March - we are proud to launch ‘Project Compass’. A contemporary entrepreneurship program for girls aged 8-17yrs ready for Term 2.

• Every participating Girl Guide gets to create and launch a social enterprise
• Every participating Girl Guide gets to trade at a Market Day
• Every participating Girl Guide gets the chance to present at a Shark Tank inspired event - Winner getting a cash donation to expand their social enterprise.
• Every volunteer gets access to training and FAQ sessions.
• Every participating volunteer gets a certificate for supporting Guide enterprises.

An innovative ‘Achieve a Challenge’ syllabus is an exciting addition to the Australian Guide Program to be launched shortly. The syllabus will include Trefoil 1-3 levels,

This program is a powerful example of how Girl Guides is providing opportunities for girls across Australia to develop skills that help them to be leaders in their communities today and into the future
Dr Helen Reid, Chief Commissioner Girl Guides Australia

Project Compass is a detailed 10 Step program with easy instructive videos and resources for leaders to facilitate using our award-winning Girl Guides Learning (GGL) platform. The syllabus has been curated by our Social Enterprise Curriculum Partner ACRE repurposing their impactful national Social Enterprise Schools syllabus for Girl Guides Australia.

 Not just businesses — Social Enterprises

Focusing on creating innovative businesses that put people and planet first rather than revenue and personal gain is responsible and aligns perfectly with Guiding principles. Encouraging Girl Guides to trade to tackle social problems, improve communities, provide access to employment and to help the environment is like a logical starting point for girls as they think about purposeful business ideas. Project Compass makes it easy for girls to connect with the concept of entrepreneurship and all the methods and tools they need to start a business including identifying community wants and needs, market research, data analytics, business and budget planning, prototyping, and pitching.

Project Compass enables girls and volunteers to develop transferable skills in:
• Leadership
• Critical and creative thinking
• Career capability
• Global citizenship
• Entrepreneurship

The program ensures the girls earn their costs back and choose to donate a 50% of their revenue to a relevant cause – the remainder can even go back to their unit – they can choose what to do with the money. Alternatively, if they were to create business around a product or service that directly impacts girls, community or environment (without the need for a charity partner) that would be completely fine too since that also constitutes a social enterprise.

Program Champion

Our Project Compass Program Champion – Charlette Turzer, Unit Helper in WA is an experienced market stall holder who runs her own small business and is passionate about seeing girls develop their own entrepreneurship skills. Charlette will be holding information sessions about the program, facilitating Leader training to ensure leaders feel confident with the program, giving girls all over Australia the support they need to start their own businesses!

 

How to join Project Compass

To find out more information, a 30 min information session will be held on
• Monday 16th March at 5:30pm AWST (8:30pm AEST) or
• Friday 20th March at 4:30pm AWST (7:30pm AEST).

Please register for either information session via Girl Guides Learning (GGL).

Enrolling in a Project Compass Information Session
To access GGL, log in to your Member Area via your State Girl Guides (SGGO) website.
Access points vary by state but are generally found within your Member dashboard.

Once logged into GGL, follow these steps:
• Navigate: Click ‘Browse Catalogue’ on your home page.
• Find: Search: Type Project Compass into the ‘Search Catalogue’ bar.
o OR Browse: Use the ‘Category’ menu – click into – National Programs
• Enroll: Choose a specific session, then click ‘Enroll’.

 You’ll receive a GGL notification to confirm your attendance and instructions

Attending the Project Compass Information Session
Once logged into GGL, follow these steps:
• Navigate: Click ‘Go to your Learning Centre’ on your home page.
• Attend: Click ‘Launch’ next to your Project Compass session
(this opens the meeting, and you are all set!)
The first 2-hour Leader training session will be during the week commencing April 13th, 2026.
Registration will be available via GGL on March 16th, 2026.
For more information contact Charlette [email protected] or [email protected]

More about our Partners:

Carla Zampatti Foundation

Sole Sponsor of Project Compass - the Girl Guides Entrepreneurship Program
Since 1965, Carla Zampatti has been Australia’s most successful and enduring fashion designers, later becoming an icon for immigrants, women and the arts. Her legacy continues to support, young women, migrants and entrepreneurs to achieve global ambitions through the Carla Zampatti Foundation (CZF).
The work of the Carla Zampatti Foundation works to positively impact the community by empowering women in business and the arts. Fostering new talent, creativity and innovation showing women that they can achieve anything if they put their mind to it.

Carla Zampatti
Carla Zampatti AC was a champion of Australian women and a multicultural success story, A mother of three, and Nonna to nine, she thrived as a businesswoman through enormous radical and social change, designing clothes for women fighting for liberation through the women’s rights movement in the 1960s, to designing the interior of the new Ford Laser aimed specifically at the women’s market in the 1980s, to empowering women today in leadership, the workplace, in their home and at major life events.
Carla was the first Australian Business Woman of the Year in 1980 and appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2009. Carla was the Chairman of SBS Corporation and a Trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW as well as a board member for Sydney Theatre Company Foundation, Westfield Holdings and McDonald’s Australia.
Carla Zampatti continues to be celebrated for making Australian women feel confident and elegant through her design, tailoring and understanding of the modern woman. Her designs have been worn by Australia’s most influential women from Prime Ministers and Premiers to business leaders, dignitaries, award-winning journalists, royalty and celebrities.

Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE)

National Entrepreneurship Curriculum Partner of Girl Guides Australia
ACRE has been delivering the Social Enterprise Schools program in Australia for 10 years, Established in 2013, ACRE has a deep commitment to and proven track record of delivering activities and programs that raise aspirations and inspire entrepreneurship in communities. ACRE is the Australian licensee for the Social Enterprise Academy, a global network that originated in Scotland and has successfully engaged over 100,000 young people across multiple countries. https://acre.org.au/