Previous student finalist of the award-winning Big Ideas Programme is invited to judge at this year's regional finals.
Previous finalist of the award-winning Big Ideas Programme and Oasis Academy Sholing Year 10 student, Darcey was invited to Portsmouth University earlier this month be a Youth Judge for this year’s regional competition.
Darcey, along with her fellow teammates, entered a competition developed by the social enterprise "Solutions for the Planet" in 2021/22. The programme required the then Year 8 students to consider some of the world's global issues.
Oasis Academy Sholing entered two teams, G.R.O.W.T.H and CALM, into the competition. Team G.R.O.W.T.H won the regional finals and went on to attend the national finals at the Palace of Westminster. G.R.O.W.T.H received a highly commendable award at the national finals, which only motivated the team to push even harder.
This year, G.R.O.W.T.H was asked to participate as youth judges for the Big Ideas Competition. Both Matt and Darcey seized this opportunity. Matt helped with the shortlisting process earlier in the year, while Darcey served as the youth judge for the regional final, which took place at Portsmouth University on the 13th May.
Darcey, Oasis Academy Sholing.
Darcey said, “It was an honour to be a youth judge for the Big Ideas Competitions regional finals, held at Portsmouth University. Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to listen to 10 different groups from local schools present their 'Big Ideas' and I was amazed by their effort and dedication.
They were all carefully thought out, from how their idea would help the world, to how it was sustainable and even to how they presented their ideas, which were in many unique and different ways. Teams bought prototypes of their machines, showed us videos and leaflets of their schemes, and had giant posters to show off what they'd been working on.”
Darcey continued, “All the teams presented themselves extremely well, and I thoroughly enjoyed my day as a judge. This experience helped me improve my ability to judge in a more thoughtful and constructive manner, and I gained valuable insights from the presentations of each team.”
Solutions for the Planet is a social enterprise that aims to create a world where sustainable practices are commonplace. Their goal is to ensure that every young person is equipped with essential skills that benefit both people and the planet. Additionally, they strive to integrate social creativity, innovation, and diversity into every business and workplace. The organization builds partnerships to promote sustainability, STEM careers (science, technology, engineering, and math), and employability skills.
Team G.R.O.W.T.H are now working with both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 student running workshops and sessions to support their growth. You can find out more about the team by visit our academy website.
G.R.O.W.T.H stands for Growth, Revival, Outdoors, Wellbeing, Togetherness and Health.
Well done Darcey!