Entrepreneurship took root among primary school students in Segari, Manjung as Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET) advanced its community outreach efforts through a mushroom cultivation programme aimed at nurturing early agropreneurship skills.
The “Young Agropreneur: Projek Cendawan Komuniti” programme, held at Sekolah Kebangsaan Nakhoda Muhammad Taib, Batu 3 Segari, brought together 42 pupils and 16 student facilitators from UniKL MIMET’s Student Entrepreneurship Association (SEA), under the Technopreneur Development (Teknoputra) Section.
The initiative, led by SEA Programme Director Sophia Natasya Aris, was implemented in collaboration with the Manjung District Agriculture Office, strengthening the programme’s technical and community support framework.
A key highlight of the programme was the hands-on mushroom cultivation module conducted by Mr Nurmawardi Ahmad Zamil, Assistant Agricultural Officer from the Manjung District Agriculture Office.
Students were introduced to practical techniques in mushroom planting, crop maintenance, and sustainable agricultural practices, providing early exposure to agribusiness fundamentals.
Beyond cultivation, participants were also guided on how to transform agricultural products into marketable ventures.
A Canva-based marketing and promotion session led by Dr. Siti Noor Kamariah Yaakop, Head of the Technopreneur Development Section and SEA Advisor, introduced students to basic entrepreneurial concepts, including product branding, poster design, and digital promotion strategies.
The programme incorporated interactive activities, gamification elements, and mini product pitching sessions, designed to enhance teamwork, creativity, communication skills, and entrepreneurial confidence among the young participants.
Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Siti Noor Kamariah Yaakop said the programme reflects UniKL MIMET’s broader aspiration to instil entrepreneurial thinking through experiential, community-based learning.
“This initiative goes beyond mushroom cultivation. It is about nurturing confidence, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset among students at an early stage. We hope it can grow into a sustainable community project that continues to benefit both the school and surrounding community,” she said.
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the initiative supports SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Through the collaboration between academia, government agencies, and local communities, the Young Agropreneur project is positioned as a scalable model for sustainable community entrepreneurship development under UniKL MIMET.
