fbpx Innovate for Good - London Youth

05 July 2013

[video:https://vimeo.com/76436718]

In August 2013 London Youth was pleased to partner with Microsoft to launch the 'Innovate for Good' programme in the UK.

 'Innovate for Good', a Microsoft YouthSpark programme, is a global community enabling young people to collaborate, inspire and support each other while using technology to make a difference in their communities.



The inaugural UK 'Innovate for Good' took place on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th August 2013. It saw 80 young people from across the UK, supported by a team of 11 Interns from Microsoft and 13 Peer Facilitators from London Youth's network of 400 youth clubs, spend two days looking at social innovation and how technology can make a difference in their localcommunity. 

At the end of the two day residential programme the young people pitched their project ideas to a panel of advisors at the Microsoft offices in London comprised of; Shadow Minister for Children and Young People, Tristram Hunt MP, Chief Executive of London Youth, Rosie Ferguson, Senior Director of Developer & Platform Evangelism at Microsoft, Anand Krishnan.

London Youth recruited young people from across its network of 400 youth clubs from across the Capital, to ensure the event had nationwide reach London Youth also sent out invitations to its partner organisations including UK Youth and The Princes Trust.

Young people were asked to complete an online application form and supply a reference. Questions on the application form included ‘Who are your role models and why?‘ and ‘Please tell us a little about how you have already helped to improve your community’; this was to ensure that participants had a keen interest in social action and had participated in similar projects before.

Participants took, on average, 45 minutes to complete the form and 140 applications were received, of which 90 were invited to take part in the two day residential programme.London Youth recruited young people from across its network of 400 youth clubs from across the Capital, to ensure the event had nationwide reach London Youth also sent out invitations to its partner organisations including UK Youth and The Princes Trust.

Young people were asked to complete an online application form and supply a reference. Questions on the application form included ‘Who are your role models and why?‘ and ‘Please tell us a little about how you have already helped to improve your community’; this was to ensure that participants had a keen interest in social action and had participated in similar projects before.

Participants took, on average, 45 minutes to complete the form and 140 applications were received, of which 80 were invited to take part in the two day residential programme.

After the residential, young people competed an online survey and signed up to the ‘Innovate for Good’ web portal. The charts below summarise their feedback:

  • 73% said they believed in themselves more after Innovate for Good
  • 75% said that Innovate for Good connected them with people and organisations that can help them achieve their goals
  • 93% said that Innovate for Good staff and volunteers gave me the training and support I needed to develop specific skills
  • 94% said that after the end of Innovate for Good project, they could imagine alternative ways of doing things
  • 100% said they would recommend Innovate for Good to a friend
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