Schools across the region are invited to nominate their Digital Champions for the first Junior Digital Awards.
The Junior Digital Awards 2018 have been launched by Hull Live – the area’s leading news, sport and information website, brought to you by the Hull Daily Mail – and local communications provider KCOM, in partnership with Hull’s Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) tech hub.
The awards will be run in conjunction with the Digital Awards 2018, the region’s celebration of tech excellence and innovation.
The Junior Digital Awards will encourage more young people to recognise the exciting, rewarding and ever-growing career opportunities in digital technology.
Neil Hodgkinson, Editor-in-Chief of the Hull Daily Mail and Hull Live, said: “The region’s success in the digital arena depends on harnessing and developing young digital talent. Our schools are full of young people with tremendous tech skills who are doing amazing things digitally.
“These new awards will recognise and celebrate their achievements and potential, while raising awareness of the amazing career opportunities available to young people with digital skills.”
Sean Royce, Executive Vice President of KCOM, said: “With the Tech Nation 2018 report again identifying the area as a digital hotspot, supporting thousands of jobs and creating a host of amazing new tech businesses, young people can look ahead to an exciting future.
“We engage with schools across the region through our community programmes, so we know students are tech savvy and switched on, from an early age.
“The Junior Digital Awards will showcase the very best digital initiatives in schools and put a spotlight on the region’s future tech entrepreneurs.”
Teachers from all secondary schools in Hull and East Yorkshire are invited to nominate one student per school as their Digital Champion. They must be in Years 9 to 11 (aged 13 to 15) and have demonstrated a particular flair for using digital technology, within a digital qualification, as part of their studies in another subject, or within a project or activity undertaken in their own time.
They may have blogged, created video storylines, posted brilliant pictures on Instagram or delivered an amazing Snapchat takeover. They could have developed apps or software or provided technical support to others.
Each school’s Digital Champion, their parents and a member of staff from the school will be invited to attend the Junior Digital Awards 2018 ceremony, which will take place on the evening of Tuesday, September 18 at C4Di.
The Junior Digital Awards will be hosted by David Keel, Hull’s Digital Ambassador and Chair of C4DI, and showcase the very best of digital innovation and tech creativity in local schools. The awards night will coincide with a Digital Expo involving many of the area’s leading tech businesses.
The overall winner will become Hull’s Junior Digital Champion and work with David and C4DI to raise the profile of Hull’s young tech talent. They and their parents will also be invited as VIP guests to the Digital Awards 2018 ceremony held at the Hull Venue on the evening of Thursday, September 20.
David Keel said: “The Digital Awards have played a major part in raising the profile of digital as a driver of business innovation and growth and have elevated the status of tech skills and careers.
“The Junior Digital Awards add a further dimension. Our local schools are where the region’s future tech stars are nurtured and encouraged to explore the limitless possibilities and potential of digital technology.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the school Digital Champions and the overall winner to represent and promote the best of young local tech talent.”
Schools should nominate their Digital Champion through the Digital Awards 2018 website at www.thedigitalawards.net The deadline for entries is August 5.
Get involved in the Digital Awards and Junior Digital Awards on social media by using the hashtag #HEYDigitalAwards and following @hulllive @KCOMheybusiness and @C4Dihull.