As education systems globally confront rapid technological disruption, evolving labour markets, and increasing societal complexity, there is a growing urgency to equip young people with the competencies required to navigate and shape uncertain futures. At the same time, governments, industries, and global institutions are seeking new approaches to strengthen innovation capacity, entrepreneurial thinking, and long-term economic resilience. This practitioner presentation introduces The YOU Power Project™. This Canadian social enterprise uses social entrepreneurship as a vehicle for developing future-ready competencies, including creativity, communication, adaptability, digital literacy, global citizenship, and critical thinking and problem-solving through applied experiential learning. Originally developed as an enrichment-based entrepreneurship program, the model is now evolving into a scalable system activation approach capable of operating within existing educational structures. The framework integrates educator capacity-building, experiential entrepreneurship education, competency-based learning, and technology and AI-enabled personalization to support learners in identifying real-world challenges, designing solutions, and creating community impact through entrepreneurial action. The approach has been piloted through after-school and summer entrepreneurship programs involving youth ages 10–18 across 12 municipalities in Canada. Across multiple cohorts, an average of 89% of participating learners progressed to launching operational ventures, social initiatives, or community-based projects, demonstrating measurable growth in agency, confidence, resilience, and applied entrepreneurial capability. This presentation explores how entrepreneurship education can function not only as a pathway to venture creation, but as a foundational strategy for developing adaptive learners, strengthening local innovation ecosystems, and cultivating the next generation of social entrepreneurs and changemakers.

Jessica Flynn is the Founder & CEO of The YOU Power Project™, a Canadian social enterprise focused on youth empowerment through entrepreneurship and experiential learning. An award-winning educator, consultant, speaker, and systems strategist, her work focuses on developing scalable approaches to future-ready learning, social innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development. Jessica collaborates with municipalities, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and international partners to support youth entrepreneurship, competency development, and systems transformation initiatives across local and global contexts.