Build something
real.

Young Builders is run by ARC Hub, a community ownership network based in Melbourne, Australia. Programs are delivered by trained ARC Facilitators — adults who have completed ARC's Facilitator Development program and operate to ARC's community standards.

Each participant is assigned a dedicated Facilitator who guides their entire program journey. Facilitators do not change mid-program. All Facilitators are verified adults operating under ARC's governance framework.

Each level is a structured 6-week program. Sessions are conducted via video call (Zoom) or in-person at a community venue. Junior Builder sessions (12–17) are approximately 60 minutes per week. All content is age-appropriate and reviewed against youth development guidelines.

The Foundation Program (Level E) is completely free. No credit card is required. There is no obligation to continue beyond Level E.

All participants under 18 require written parental or guardian consent before beginning the program. The consent form covers: program overview, session format, data handling, and communication preferences.

Parents and guardians are welcome to attend any session. A parent information session is available before the program begins for families who want to learn more.

Young Builders can be delivered as a school program, an after-school program, or through a community group. ARC works with the organisation to schedule sessions, manage consent, and report on student outcomes.

The program aligns with the Australian Curriculum's enterprise and financial literacy strands (Years 7–10) and can be submitted for VET credit in some states. Contact us to discuss a partnership.

Parents and guardians receive a program summary at the start of each level, a progress update at the mid-point, and a completion summary at the end. Any concerns can be raised directly with the Facilitator or escalated to ARC Hub at any time.

ARC Hub operates a clear safeguarding policy. All Facilitators working with participants under 18 hold a current Working With Children Check.

By the end of Level E, every participant has a validated idea, a simple business plan, and a clear decision about whether to proceed. For Junior Builders this might be a service business, a creative project, a community initiative, or a product idea.

Past Young Builder projects have included tutoring services, handmade goods businesses, social media content creation, community event organising, and technology tools built for local needs.

At Level D and beyond, Young Builders are connected to ARC's network of business specialists. A legal question about their first client contract gets answered by an actual lawyer. A question about funding gets answered by a financing specialist. Not theory — the real thing.

ARC Hub Co-Founders and Service Providers can participate as mentors to Young Builders in their specialist area. One structured session per month. Supervised and facilitated. A genuine contribution to the next generation — and a story worth telling.

Schools partnering with Young Builders give students structured access to practising professionals — not just guest speakers. The mentoring is embedded in the program curriculum, supervised, and age-appropriate.

Each mentoring session is facilitated by a trained ARC Facilitator. The agenda is set in advance. Sessions run 30–45 minutes via video call. The Young Builder brings a specific question or challenge. The mentor brings their real experience.