From Online Learning to Real-World Building

What we’re learning from an online entrepreneurship pilot at North Star Academy

Author

Stephen Carter
February 23, 2026

Quick note—don’t miss your chance to be part of one of the most energizing events of 2026: the Entrepreneurship Symposium for Christian Schools. Whether you’re building an entrepreneurship program or ready to launch one, this gathering will accelerate your impact.

I’ll be honest, I love a great brick-and-mortar entrepreneurship program.

Give me a student-run coffee shop, a school store, a pizza oven, a messy whiteboard, and a group of students trying to figure out pricing while someone forgets the napkins, and I’m a happy man.

But one of the most exciting things I’m seeing right now is this: entrepreneurship education is not limited to a physical campus.

We’re piloting a Christ-centered entrepreneurship program with NorthStar Academy, an online school, and it has been incredibly encouraging. Students are building real businesses, learning practical skills, and growing in the entrepreneurial mindset in ways that are deeply connected to their actual lives. 

In this model, students are not all building the same business. 

They are building around their own interests, their own skills, and the opportunities right in front of them. Some are creating product-based businesses. Others are offering services. All of them are learning how to solve problems, create value, and serve people well. 

One of my favorite examples is a student in Germany who started building custom computers. He saw that many people around him were paying too much for computers, realized he had the skill to build them himself, and turned that into a business opportunity. That's the entrepreneurial mindset: see a problem, build a solution, serve people.

Now, if you hear “online school” and think, “Okay, but isn’t that isolating?” that’s a fair question. But that’s not what we’re seeing.

There is real collaboration happening. Students are working in small groups, sharing ideas, giving feedback, and helping each other think better. They’re also getting one-on-one coaching, which has been a huge strength of the program. 

Entrepreneurship education cannot be stopped. It meets students where they are, and it helps them become the kind of people who are ready to create, lead, and serve.

Let’s go!

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