Ekiti State Polytechnic, Nigeria · Educators
The Evolve Project
Turning educators into champions of innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Evolve Project is a bold six-week pilot at Ekiti State Polytechnic that builds entrepreneurial thinking among educators first, so they can inspire, mentor and guide students to develop innovative, entrepreneurial mindsets.
25
Educators trained
6 weeks
Intensive pilot
A focused programme of workshops and practical projects.
25
Educators
From diverse faculties across the polytechnic.
90%
Better teaching
Reported improved teaching strategies using entrepreneurial concepts.
80%
More collaboration
Increase in peer collaboration between departments.
At a glance
Where
Ekiti State Polytechnic
Who
25 educators from diverse faculties
Length
6-week pilot
Approach
Train educators first, then reach students
Goal
Classrooms that work as incubators of innovation
About the programme
Change begins with the people at the front of the classroom
Recognising that change begins from within, The Evolve Project focuses on educators before students. When teachers think like entrepreneurs, every lesson becomes a chance for students to solve real problems.
By equipping teachers with entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills, the project aims to turn classrooms into incubators of innovation, and then expand to students across many disciplines.
- Turn educators into entrepreneurship champions
- Build creative problem-solving, critical thinking and leadership skills
- Strengthen collaboration and cross-disciplinary innovation networks
- Lay the foundation for student-focused entrepreneurial programmes
Programme highlights
Six weeks of practical, hands-on learning
Workshops, peer collaboration and real projects helped educators put new ideas into practice straight away.
01
Entrepreneurial Thinking
Seeing problems as opportunities and building the mindset to act on them.
02
Critical Problem-Solving
Practical tools for breaking down challenges and testing solutions.
03
Design Thinking
Putting people at the centre of every idea, from research to prototype.
04
Leadership for Innovation
Leading change in the classroom and across the institution.
05
Peer Collaboration
Exercises that built innovation networks between departments.
06
Practical Projects
Small-scale entrepreneurial projects that applied everything educators learned.
Measured outcomes
What changed for educators
90%
Improved teaching strategies
Educators now integrate entrepreneurial concepts into their teaching.
80%
More peer collaboration
New networks for continuous innovation support across faculties.
Confidence
Stronger mentors
Educators feel more confident guiding students towards entrepreneurial solutions.
What’s next
Help us grow a nationwide network of entrepreneurial educators
Six weeks was not long enough to master advanced concepts, and resources for classroom projects were limited. With partners, we can go further and reach more schools.
Next steps
1
A longer programme
More time for deeper mastery and project implementation.
2
Better learning platforms
Unique participant logins so we can track engagement and progress.
3
Industry partnerships
Connecting educators with startups, tech hubs and industry leaders.
4
Scaling up
Taking the programme to other polytechnics and secondary schools.
