Partner Article

North East business leads the way with innovative schools challenge

Aegis IT, the regions leading IT consultancy, has formed links with over 100 schools, by launching its own challenge to find IT developers, computer coders and creative inventors of the future. Over 100 schools from across the North East have signed up to take part in the innovation challenge to find the regions best developers and inventors using the revolutionary Raspberry Pi computer. 8-18 year olds are now taking part in 2 competitions, which challenges them to use a basic computer device and coding languages to develop their own games, gadgets or inventions.

The challenge is called ‘Can you make a Jelly Baby Scream?’ and is based on a very simple piece of computer code and using a Raspberry Pi, 2 wires and some paperclips to develop a programme. Thousands of pupils are taking part in the challenge which officially launched earlier in November and is set to run until January.

Pupils using the Raspberry Pi will be coming up with their own ideas and inventions over the next 2 months and 106 schools registered to take part in the challenge with schools from Hexham, Morpeth, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, Darlington, Sunderland and Teesside now running after school or lunch time clubs to encourage new developers and designers.

This project is backed by University of Newcastle and Computers at School (CAS) Hub network, and global electronic equipment manufacturer Huawei.

Hundreds of Raspberry Pi’s have now been distributed free to schools across the region so pupils can take part in teams.

David McPherson, Managing Director of Aegis IT commented: ‘As an employer from the North East for the last 10 years, we have seen the changes that technology have brought to every sector. We need talented young people, and so this challenge is based around inspiring young people to get involved with computing, and making links for the future.’

‘We want to work with schools more closely to help develop the skilled IT developers of the future here in the North East. This challenge will enable hundreds of young people to take an early step into computer coding and developing IT applications. They will have fun while learning, and using the Raspberry Pi’s we have distributed free to participating schools, we will be able to develop direct contacts across the region,’ concluded David McPherson.

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