On Thursday 22 February, eighteen pupils from nine local schools visited the C4DI to experience what it's really like to work in the tech industry.
The educational programme was put together by Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University, a local charity that aims to raise the aspirations of children from across the region.
HEY CU works with organisations and businesses to provide children with an insight into a variety of different professions, from working in hospitality to being an MP in the Palace of Westminster. Some of their experiences include a sleepover at the Natural History Museum, a trip to Bempton Cliffs and the National Science Museum.
The charity’s latest offering to pupils is the Tech Day at C4DI. From start to finish, the morning was filled to the brim with demonstrations, exciting workshops and talks from some of the building’s talented members.
Shortly after arriving, Dave Keel spoke with the small group about his life and work at Trident, a Hull startup that has been built up to be a multi-million pound business.
Moodbeam co-founders Christina Colmer McHugh and Jonathan Elvidge then introduced the kids to the digital button currently in development that records data about daily emotions.
The children then got a chance to learn some basics about coding with Software Developer Steve Bowman. Meanwhile, Alex Youden of NFire Labs showed off the magic of 3D printing.
Students and teachers alike were in awe at the Hull Pixelbot, as University of Hull Lecturer Rob Miles allowed the group to take a closer look at the small, yet powerful robots. The children then headed to the Label Worx studio, where they tried a bit of DJing.
The day ended on the third floor boardroom. The children were asked to think of something that they could create that could help them get ready quicker in the mornings for school. C4DI’s Managing Director John Connolly selected a well-deserving winner, who was awarded a Samsung tablet.
We were thrilled to see that the children and teachers left our building feeling inspired about their futures, many of them already quite knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the world of tech.
It was truly fascinating to see the next generation of developers, engineers and innovators. One thing we know for certain is that, thanks to the passion of Hull’s young people and the dedicated work of HEY CU, the future of the city’s tech industry is bright.
If you would like to find out more about Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University, or perhaps be involved with on of their experience days, please visit the charity’s website. http://www.hullchildrensuniversity.com