What is a SIFE Chapter?

A SIFE Chapter is a group of people working together at a university to learn, practice and teach others how to succeed in a global market economy. They do this by devising, developing, delivering and documenting educational outreach projects in their community. A chapter comprises a number of students, a member of university staff and an advisory group of business people.

How many students are needed to establish a SIFE Chapter?

SIFE Australia will recognise any group that is capable of mounting an outreach project in its local community but, as affiliation with the university’s student association as a club or society is needed for insurance purposes, this may dictate the minimum number of members. Typically, a group of five to ten students emerge as the leadership group but as many students as wish to can be involved in SIFE projects. An effective chapter will have from 20 to 100 student members.

What do SIFE students do?

SIFE students work together, with the help and guidance of the staff member and business advisory group, to create innovative activities that teach others about enterprise. These activities are called outreach projects. Students also develop ways to fund their projects, manage themselves, publicise their activities, network with local, national and international business executives and have fun. Each chapter prepares a written annual report and an oral presentation describing the projects that have been undertaken and the results achieved. The report and presentation are made to a panel of business judges who determine which chapter has conducted the most effective program.

What are the benefits of my involvement with SIFE?

Students

• Fun: take this opportunity to meet new people, try new things and travel to new places.
• Personal and professional growth: the opportunity to practice concepts and skills learned during your studies in a hands-on manner, increasing your value to future employers.
• An opportunity to network with students, academics and business executives from around the world.
• A chance to demonstrate what you are individually capable of achieving while working in a group.
• A practical opportunity to develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills.
• The satisfaction of knowing you made a positive difference in your community by educating others.

SIFE Team Faculty Advisors

• Opportunities to network and establish business relationships with business executives across Australia and around the world.
• Recognition for yourself, your students and your university in the local, national and international community.
• Publishing opportunities in the refereed Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and Sustainability.
• The satisfaction of helping students to grow professionally outside the classroom.

What are community outreach projects?

Community outreach projects are educational activities to address specific needs in the community by teaching participants how to succeed in a global market economy. Students devise, develop, deliver and document each of their projects. Typical projects might aim to:

• Develop programs that increase access by indigenous, minority or low socio-economic status groups to education and employment opportunities.
• Assist the local community to improve housing, transportation, communication, education, childcare or retail opportunities.
• Teach primary school students business and economic principles or IT skills to give them early insight into the market economy.
• Tutor and mentor at-risk secondary school students by encouraging them to complete Year 12 and then continue with further education.
• Create and distribute public service announcements about any aspect of economic life.
• Teach money management and financial planning basics to any community group.
• Teach and assist primary and secondary school students to set up real businesses.
• Develop computer simulations or games that involve business principles.
• Assist small businesses with business and marketing plans or by creating web pages.
• Teach senior citizens the basics of IT literacy and personal computer skills.

How do we fund our SIFE projects?

All SIFE Teams are self-funded. It is up to each team to raise funds to operate their projects, travel to competition, and conduct social activities. The key is to develop projects that are needed in the community. If you do something that will benefit the participants, then government, educational institutions or business people are likely to get involved with your project.

• Partner with businesses or other organisations to leverage human and capital resources through financial or in-kind partnerships.
• Ask your university for financial assistance (if you are conducting a project that will reduce the university’s financial or human capital expenditures, they may pass the savings to you).
• Fund-raisers such as washing cars, chook raffles, running a ‘celebrity’ auction on campus of goods donated by students and families or holding a $2 sausage sizzle with donated food.
• Start a sustainable business and reinvest the profits into your program.
• Provide services for local businesses (wash windows, distribute fliers, stuff envelopes).
• Invest not only your time, but a portion of your personal income as well. If you demonstrate faith in a project yourself, other people will be more willing to do the same.

Why should we attend the SIFE Australia National Conference and Championships ?

Enterprises improve through benchmarking and best practice comparison. SIFE Australia strongly encourages each SIFE Team to seize the opportunity to participate in the National Conference and Championships to  give your team a chance to showcase your talents and accomplishments and meet students and business people from across Australia.

• Benchmark your team's projects and learn what is best practice in your field.
• Showcase the accomplishments of your team and be assessed for cash awards.
• Network with students, academics and business leaders from across Australia.
• Participate with a wide cross-section of other students in seminars and discussions.
• Meet human resource executives from SIFE Partners and find out about work experience and employment opportunities.