06 | EVENT REVIEW | PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
T
he event, which saw the patron of TeenTech, HRH The Duke of York, congratulate winners, is an
industry-led initiative that helps kids to realise the potential of STEM subjects. Working to the brief of making life
‘beter, simpler and easier’, the awards give schoolchildren between the ages of 11–16 (Years 7–11) the opportunity to search for scientific and technological solutions to real problems in 16 categories linked to industries important to the future – including environment, transport, healthcare and wearable technology. The awards are supported annually
by a number of influential names in the technology field, celebrity science presenters, journalists and eminent academics such as Stephen Fry and Top Gear’s James May.
Enterprising culture Speaking at the event, the initiative’s patron, HRH The Duke of York, said: “We have to create an enterprising culture. You’ve got to give kids either the inspiration or encourage them to aspire to something. If you inspire a young person, it changes their life completely. All of us can remember a teacher, mentor or somebody who has inspired us to do something we would have never thought possible.” This year’s winning designs included
a wristband which tells you when you’ve eaten your five-a-day, wardrobes that choose and deliver your clothing, gloves which translate speech and a way to “grow your own clothes”.
Industry links Now, a number of the winners are already working closely with businesses to develop their designs. The team at Loreto Grammar School in Altrincham Cheshire, which won for their happiness and wellbeing app ‘Stepping Out’, now has the support from the digital team at Childline on their project and Richard Lander School in Cornwall is in talks with Save The Children Asia to pitch its ‘Playground Dynamo’ idea, a playground built with recycled materials which can produce local power – both teams hope to fully develop their designs in school with the charities’ support. Elaine Manton, teacher at Loreto
Grammar School in Altrincham, Cheshire, which is working with Childline, said: “It’s great to know that something we do in the classroom can become bigger than we ever thought it would – since July the team have shown
TeenTech's co-founder Maggie Philbin will be speaking at Bet 2015. Find out more on
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TeenTech winners get royal treatment
The winners of the TeenTech Awards 2014 were honoured at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace
real drive in going out and speaking to industry, and it’s fantastic to have the support of such a major charity in our quest to get 'Stepping Out' off the ground. The youngsters take huge pride in talking about their design and show such great resilience in accepting feedback about how they can improve – TeenTech has inspired us to make STEM a bigger part of our curriculum this year.”
STEM workforce TeenTech is the co-brainchild of technology broadcaster Maggie Philbin – known for programmes like Bang Goes the Theory and Tomorrow’s World – and aims to nurture teenage innovation through competitions and events in schools all across the country. She said: "We’ve all seen the facts predicting the ever-increasing skills gap in our STEM workforce, yet these projects show us exactly why it’s so important that
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