Bright ideas are brewing among Year 13 Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students as they prepare for this year’s Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).

YES encourages senior high school students to unleash their inner entrepreneur and experience the world of start-up business first-hand by designing and selling their own product..

The Wanaka App has had a sneak preview of two of the team’s work so far.

‘EMOTI’ is a team which has been developing specialised car air fresheners which it says helps teenagers take more care on the roads.

Air fresheners designed by young enterprise group EMOTI designed to keep young people safer behind the wheel. 

According to NZTA in 2019 young drivers (aged between 16 and 24) were involved in 71 fatal crashes and 612 serious injuries.

“Teen drivers are becoming ruthless behind the wheel, as more and more young people are getting hurt, something needs to be done,” EMOTI team member Meg Thomas said.

EMOTI’s product has been designed with a specialised scent which the team says helps to stimulate hand-eye coordination, and it is printed with simple reminders such as ‘Your whanau wants you home safe,’ to remind young drivers to take more care before setting off.

The second group ‘Shanga’ has partnered with a social enterprise in Kenya to sell colourful, beaded lanyards for keys and glasses.

‘Shanga’ will donate 20 percent of its profits to 'So They Can', a charity dedicated to providing education to African children living in poverty.

“We acknowledge how fortunate we are here in New Zealand and we are aware that millions of children worldwide do not have access to a world class education system,” Shanga told the Wanaka App.

‘So They Can’ findings indicate 263 million children worldwide are not in school, of which 30 million are from Africa, and the Shanga products will help support So They Can’s work to reduce these figures.

“I am so taken away with Shanga’s ability to work with passion and purpose to achieve their goals,” Thieving Kea owner Becky Roberts said. “The product is beautiful and it's a privilege to support a community who is working tirelessly to achieve more for their people.”

Keep an eye out for the Shanga and EMOTI products on social media, on the MAC website, and in local stores.

PHOTOS: Supplied