Branksome Hall
Home › Learning › Signature Student Programs ›
noodle
What is noodle?
Noodle is Branksome’s signature 38-week business accelerator program. A first of its kind in a Canadian JK–12 school, Noodle exposes students to all aspects of entrepreneurship.
Noodle was launched in 2019–20 with five companies and 13 students in Grades 7 to 12. By 2024–25, it had grown to 120 girls and 56 companies, with growth ongoing. The Karen L. Jurjevich Innovation Centre & Studio Theatre will be Noodle’s new headquarters, including a permanent pop-up location for product sales.
Noodle has become so highly sought-after that Noodle Jr. was introduced in 2023 for Grades 4 to 6.
PROGRAM FEATURES
Business development mentorship
Branksome Hall employees provide mentorship in areas such as ideation, product development, customer segmentation, partnership agreements, marketing, finance, branding and pitching.
Coaching and guidance from guest entrepreneurs
York University’s YSpace Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions feature guest speakers and entrepreneurs. Sessions have included those on customer persona, branding and marketing, the art of the pitch and how to grow your business.
Experience true business growth
Opportunities to sell products at school pop-ups and events are available throughout the school year. At past Welcome Back events, companies have sold more than $9,600 in products across 10 companies. This revenue can then go back into those companies.
Transferable Learning opportunities
Entrepreneurial learning develops grit and resilience, enabling students to push through challenges, fostering mental toughness and the risk-taking sensibility all leaders require.
Understanding what it takes to bring the spark of an idea through the entire real-life cycle that entrepreneurs follow—that’s the true value of this program. When girls take ownership of ideas and lead projects, they challenge outdated norms about who “should” be in charge, develop confidence in negotiation and decision-making, and develop a mindset that’s creator rather than consumer.
Noodle's Goal
Noodle is a prime example of our Innovation priority in action. The program’s goal is to help balance the significant gender gap across current science, technology, engineering and entrepreneurial professions.
Whether your daughters are passionate about a career in business, the arts, STEM, not-for-profits, politics or anything they set their minds to, they’ll look back on Noodle as the training ground for turning ideas into tangible solutions and enterprises to make a difference in a world that’s always changing.
Funding Structure
Branksome Hall invests significantly in Noodle and partners with local organizations, including York University’s YSpace. Past students involved in the program have thrived, and many have experienced incredible growth and success in their businesses.
Seed funding and more to grow businesses
The Noodle program was kick-started thanks to initial prize and seed funding from alum donor Mary LESSLIE Hallward’74. More donors have since stepped forward, with several funding high-profile Entrepreneurs-in-Residence to mentor the students.
New companies can receive access to $500 in seed funding with the understanding that, if they return, they will be up and thriving, unlikely to need this start-up funding a second time.
Every April, companies have the opportunity to pitch in a Dragon’s Den-style competition to gain additional funding to grow their businesses. Last year, more than $17,000 was awarded.
Noodle Jr. to Noodle
Kick-starting innovation & entrepreneurial skills
Grades 5–6 students can join Noodle Jr. every fall as part of co-curricular programming. Over 16 weeks, students apply design thinking skills to identify a real-world problem, then fine-tune their solutions and launch their company. Students display prototypes and present their process to families and friends each spring at the Noodle Jr. Trade Show. Grade 4 students are invited to participate in the Introduction to Noodle Jr. program in the spring.
Noodle in the Senior & Middle School
Grades 7–12 students can join Noodle every fall, either as an individuals or as a group, and participants move through four stages of the program: Noodle Design (Grades 7 -8), where students learn about design elements and prototyping products; Noodle Launch (Grades 8-12), where students to learn how to launch a business following the lean canvas framework; Noodle Elevate (Grades 9-12) which supports students in refining the product they built in Noodle Launch and continuing to develop their company’s sales, marketing and branding through more advanced business lessons; and Noodle Scale (Grades 9-12), where students focus how to scale their businesses, engaging in a series of bespoke lessons based on their company goals and receiving mentorship from industry-specific experts. Each company will join a Noodle session, meeting bi-weekly. Facilitators are Noodle faculty and an entrepreneur.
Noodle Events
“Ask Me Anything” brings in local entrepreneurs to share their journeys with students. In the past, we've hosted AMAs on topics such as Customer Personas and Target Markets; Marketing; Pitching and How to Scale Your Business.
Companies may pitch their businesses to a panel of judges comprised of alums and parents to earn additional funding.
Companies showcase what they’ve been working on all year to family and friends.
Companies have the opportunity to sell at multiple pop-ups throughout the year at school, such as our monthly pop-ups in the AWC, as well as at special events, including the Welcome Back Party, Branksome on Bay, Junior School Bingo and more.
Want to Fuel Innovation and Don't Know How?
We welcome the opportunity to discuss mentorship, corporate partnership and philanthropic opportunities with you.
