Are you an innovator? Do you have an idea which could make life easier, simpler or better?
We want you to use your imagination, to think creatively. This is a chance to ask “What if?” or even build a fun example of what this might look like.
The TeenTech Awards are for UK students from 11-16 (Years 7 to 11) and 17-19 (Year 12-13) working in teams of up to three to look at problems large and small to see if they can find a better way of doing things.
There will be a prize of £1000 to the winning school in each innovation category and the overall winners will be presented with their awards by HRH Duke of York KG at Buckingham Palace
Key dates:
Now! Register your teams here so we can send a teacher pack, and connect you to innovation sessions
End Autumn Term: Final date to confirm intention to enter
End Spring Term: Upload Project electronically for preliminary judging:
Beginning of Summer term: Finalists announced:
June : Judging day for finalists at The Royal Society
By registering we can keep you up to date with support materials You do not need to have started work on projects to register.
Projects should be submitted by the end of the Spring Term. Finalists will be informed at the beginning of the Summer Term and will be able to do further work on their ideas before final judging at The Royal Society in June.
You’ll find lots of information on our website about what happened at previous Awards Days at The Royal Society and here’s a video about it all:
There are also some pictures from the TeenTech Awards on our Flickr pages
Choosing your idea
Working in teams of three you need to decide on an award category, brainstorm ideas, clearly identify an opportunity or a problem, suggest a solution and research the market.
And you don’t have to work on your own! You can contact companies, universities, colleges and even join up with a group of students on the other side of the world to work with you on your project.
How to run your project
You could set up an Ideas Wall in your own school or run a ‘Dragons Den’ activity to find those great ideas.Don’t forget to send us pictures or videos of those early brainstorming sessions!
Email us for a teacher pack: [email protected]
This year, all teams can earn digital badges or certificates for completing stages of their work.
- You could set up an Ideas Wall – just like we did at Coventry
Working with others
TeenTech are very happy for you to collaborate with others. Ask your teacher or youth leader to contact any of the following for support.
– Link up with STEM companies to help develop ideas
– Partner with another school outside the UK to get an international perspective and develop communication and team working skills.
– Use local universities and further education colleges’ Widening Participation and Outreach services for support.
– If your local Education Business partnership is supporting the Awards, they may be able to help co-ordinate these approaches.
If you choose to share your idea we recommend you ask mentors to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA). We can send you this when you register.
Who you approach will depend on your idea, you just need to let us know what they did and how it changed your thinking. TeenTech will also provide a helpful list of mentor organisations once you get going.
Developing your project
How you develop the project is entirely up to you. You could build a model, design posters or advertisements to explain your idea, conduct a survey to show why it’s needed or research existing solutions.
Apply for a CREST Award
Students taking part in TeenTech will be eligible to apply for a CREST Silver Award as many of the skills needed to obtain a CREST Award will be demonstrated. If you are already taking part in TeenTech and you would like to register for the CREST Awards, please contact your CREST Local Coordinator.
CREST is an easy-to-run STEM enrichment scheme in the UK, endorsed by UCAS for use in personal statements. It allows 11-19 year olds to build skills and demonstrate personal achievement in creative STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) project work supporting their curriculum-based learning. CREST is run by the British Science Association and the CREST Awards can be used toward the ‘skill’ section in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme at the corresponding level. Find out more here.