The event aimed to introduce NSPCC staff to impactful projects and initiatives around education and technology. The session was a great opportunity for Savanna and Kirsty to talk about some of the positive ways tech can help students overcome problems that affect them and their community. The girls talked about their experiences developing their app idea Booksy, the Apps for Good course itself and the benefits of the Fellowship programme. They then hosted a Q&A with the attending NSPCC guests from across the country.
One of the attendees remarked “Hearing about Apps for Good and Kirsty and Savannah’s involvement, was interesting and inspirational. I left the room feeling buoyed up by the prospect of these exciting opportunities for school children, and thinking of how I could share their story with others.”
When hosting the Q&A the girls had the chance to share their thoughts on how the course has changed their view of technology and what influence it has had on their future aspirations. They also gave insight into which skills and expertise they have honed over the last year and how the Apps for Good Awards, specifically the opportunity to be part of the Marketplace, had given them the chance to meet numerous interesting people from the tech industry. They noted how rewarding it was to meet industry professionals who were excited to hear about their app idea and open to giving them advice on how they could take the idea further.
Running these sessions is paramount for engaging young people with influential organisations like the NSPCC; earlier this year some members of the Fellowship were involved with some of the user testing they were doing on internet safety. We look forward to running more sessions like this over the coming year! To read more about Kirsty and Savannas talk, check out our blog.
Assessing our Impact for 2016/17
This year we reached 32,500 students globally. When collecting the data from our students one of the key indicators of impact are the skills they say they have improved on following the course. Combining the technical side of product development with crucial soft skills such as creativity, teamwork and problem solving is a major strength of the course. This makes the course more accessible to those who may not have thought they had an interest in tech.
Over the past 3 years we’ve seen students report improvements in both their soft and technical skills, with confidence being a stand out skill students feel they have developed
One of the key missions for Apps for Good is to encourage more girls to take an interest in technology and consider a tech career in the future. This year we have seen an increase in the percentage of girls who are now more interested in working in a technical job, getting closer to closing the gap with boys. Girls have reported that one of the reasons the course interests them is because it helps them hone a variety of skills important to working in the tech industry. This year our awards were dominated by female groups; the prestigious People’s Choice Award being taken by the girls from St Marylebone School with Sign Time their sign language teaching app.
We are also continuing to reach those students most in need; the diversity of schools and regions where the course is delivered is a key focus for our work
Lastly, the feedback from educators about the content of the course and how it impacts their approach to teaching is also very encouraging. By supporting educators to not only improve their subject skills and knowledge, but also their confidence and teaching methods, we can reach more young people.
You can read more about our impact in 2016/17 here.
Thank you all for your input in 2017, have a great holiday season and see you in the new year!
