We were delighted to welcome Hull & East Yorkshire Children's University (HEY CU) through our doors last week for another experience day.
By offering pupils in local schools a chance to take part in educational programmes and experience days, HEY CU gives children a taster of the jobs and lives they could have in the future.
Partnering up with local businesses and national organisations, the Children’s University enables young children to see what it’s like to work in all sorts of careers, such as Marine Biologists, Archaeologists, Scientists, Firefighters, Hotel Managers and even CEOs.
Two pupils from ten schools across the region were selected to enjoy a day in the building, learning more about careers and opportunities in tech.
"These children all go to schools in disadvantaged areas of the city. None of them knew what C4DI was or that it even existed," explains Natasha Banke, Director of HEY CU.
Established over two decades ago, HEY CU is a children’s charity that strives to expand the horizons of children across the region.
Lucy Blackley and Will Pritchard tell their startup stories in our top floor boardroom.
In the morning, the children were taken on a tour of the C4DI building, followed by a tech challenge. After lunch, Barclays Eagle Labs hosted a coding session.
The pupils met and heard from some of the tech startups and businesses in Hull, including Sauce, Bimsense, Octovision, Influence Media, Lucy Blackley of Bombyx PLM and Will Prichard of AirLockr.
"It was great to hear some of the aspirations of the kids - they're the next generation of entrepreneurs," Will tells us.
"We want children to aspire to break the cycle of deprivation and go on to fulfil their potential," Natasha enthuses.
"One day in the future, I'm sure some of these children will be starting their own tech companies at C4DI."
A visit to the Sauce office.
If you'd like to know more about Hull & East Yorkshire Children's University and their work, please visit their website.
