Young people from more than 21 schools across the North East are expected to descend upon the region’s biggest festival of innovation next month, to explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Northumbrian Water is getting ready to welcome over a thousand children and teenagers from south Durham to North Tyneside, at their Innovation Festival held between Monday 10 July to Thursday 13 July.
This year, the water company has partnered with multinational technology giant Cisco, sponsors of all the STEM-based activities at the festival, to help inspire and empower the next generation of innovators.
The youngsters, ranging from ages nine to 17, will be taking part in various different age-appropriate sessions such as building robots and creating mini cars, as well as solving some of the most important environmental issues faced by the water industry.
They’ll also have the opportunity to shoot some hoops with Newcastle Eagles basketball team, discover important skills such as how to manage their money with Newcastle United Foundation NUCASTLE, and learn how to innovate and engage with the Startup Sherpas.
Alex Brennan, Talent Manager at Northumbrian Water, said: “We are very excited to have so many young people joining us once again at our Innovation Festival.
“There will be lots of different exciting activities and opportunities for them to get involved in and it’s something different that gets them out of the classroom and gives them that real-life, experienced-based learning that they can build on.
“Maybe we’ll even inspire some of them to become engineers or follow STEM-related careers!”
Adele Every, Managing Director for Public Sector from Cisco, said: “Cisco’s mission is to power an inclusive future for all. We simply cannot achieve this without investing in skill development for future generations. The STEM programme at the festival aligns perfectly to our mission, furthering our commitment to enable the growth of diverse, inclusive and innovative talent pools”
To find out more about the Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival, or to sign up, visit www.innovationfestival.org