More than 40 students from Guernsey’s College of Further Education and the Grammar School & Sixth Form Centre attended an ‘Ideathon’ to tackle real-world problems using technology.
The programme, co-constructed by First Central Insurance & Technology Group and the Digital Greenhouse team, was created as a way of developing opportunities for young people to engage with digital technologies. The session was also attended by Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, vice president of the Committee for Economic Development and the curriculum lead for IT from the College of Further Education Dan Hunter, and Grammar’s head of business Mr Hauptfleisch.
The students were presented with two problem statements and tasked with finding a creative technology-based solution. At the end of the session, students presented their ideas to each other, as well as judges from the Digital Greenhouse and First Central Insurance & Technology Group.
The award for ‘most commercial promise’ went to a team from the College of Further Education, who won for their idea ‘Move it, Make it’; an app that gamified active travel to encourage its users to abandon their cars and walk instead. Meanwhile, the prize for ‘most innovative concept’ was awarded to a team from the Grammar School, who were praised for their underground transport concept.
Lucy Kirby, Head of Digital at the Digital Greenhouse, said: “The students showed a high level of innovation and digital creativity. It’s great to be able to work with industry to enable young people to build and develop these essential critical thinking, problem solving and collaborative skills for their futures.
“The feedback from the students was very positive. They got a buzz from the fast pace and took home some useful tools to get the ideas flowing, particularly engaging with design thinking processes.”
John Davison, Chief Information Officer for First Central, said: “The Ideathon is part of our Digital Innovators Programme, which is designed to develop the skills required for our evolving digital economy. Career opportunities in technology and creative sectors are more exciting than ever been before. It’s essential for young people to have a space where they can develop digital skills on-island.”
