Become a Problem Harvester

Helping students see the world not as it is—but as it could be

Stephen Carter
October 06, 2025

A few months ago, after finishing my certification training for teaching the entrepreneurial mindset, one of my partner schools said something that stopped me in my tracks:

“You know, Stephen, it’s almost as if you’re encouraging students to become problem junkies.”

They meant it as an observation—but I took it as a compliment. Because that’s exactly what we want.

When we say we want students to think like entrepreneurs, we’re really saying we want them to fall in love with finding problems. Opportunity seeking—one of the core attributes of the entrepreneurial mindset—is about intentionally reframing problems as opportunities. Once students start seeing the world that way, every frustration becomes fuel for innovation.

In our classrooms, we call this problem harvesting. Students go out and look for problems everywhere: in the hallways, the cafeteria, their daily routines, even their own habits. It’s amazing what they discover when they start paying attention.

One of my favorite recent examples comes from a partner school that put this idea to the test during a design thinking exercise. The students were sent out to scour the building for problems worth solving. A few minutes later, one student pointed out, “Hey—there are no bathroom signs.”

Sure enough, the newly renovated building had makeshift signage. The class grabbed onto the idea. After some quick brainstorming and paper prototyping, they used the Glowforge to create a professional sign. Then came feedback: a few classmates noted that part of the school community speaks Spanish. So the team went back, redesigned, and produced bilingual signage.

Several iterations later, the school now has beautiful, student-designed bathroom signs—and a group of young people who feel genuine ownership over their environment.

That’s the essence of the entrepreneurial mindset. The opportunity didn’t show up in a textbook. It showed up on a blank wall—waiting for someone curious enough to notice.

So let’s get students up, out, and looking around. Let’s raise a generation of problem harvesters who see the world not as it is, but as it could be.

Ready to help your students start harvesting?

From problem to prototype—students designed this sign after noticing the need

Standing out as a Christian school while staying true to your values is more challenging than ever. At Seed Tree Group, we help schools implement a proven entrepreneurship program that empowers students to take ownership of their education, equipping them with life-ready skills and creating a distinguished school with engaged students, inspired parents, and energized donors.

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Imagine your culture infused with growth mindset, grit, redefining failure, and opportunity seeking. Imagine your team acting and thinking like entrepreneurs.

Stephen Carter