Interactivism Young People’s Hack Weekend: Finding a NEET solution
And we’re live! Yesterday saw the launch of Interactivism Young People’s Hack Weekend on Simpl with a call out for ideas that use the web and digital technology to help get young people into (and maintain) the education, employment and training that is right for them.
Right, so it’s pretty impossible to escape the constant media surge of stories around NEETs, youth unemployment rates, social unrest, you name it, and it’s painting a pretty bleak picture of the current situation young people are in. There is no doubt times are tough, but rather than dwell in the negative, we want you to harness those negatives, creating ideas for projects that will help change this myriad of sad statistics into positive social action.
We’ve got quite a few tricks up our sleeves to get those innovative juices flowing. For one, the RSA (http://thersa.org) have put together a discovery framework, which maps out some of the biggest barriers and gaps in what’s currently out there to help young people. They look at how design methods and a nifty matrix can help you discover where your idea might fit into the mix.
Additionally, in the run up to Interactivism, keep your eyes peeled for a string of guest posts on the Simpl blog written by a pretty awesome bunch – including young people, those who work with young people, employers, and more – to help highlight some of the biggest needs from those who know best.
And if that isn’t enough to put some fire under your feet to get ideas flowing, here’s another thing to consider – prizes. That’s right, as a bit of extra enticement, we’d like the reveal that the prizes for the top hack weekend ideas will include – Google Chromebooks for the entire winning team, a trip for one lucky student developer to one of Google’s international offices, and a chance for the young people involved to get a tour and lunch at Google HQ in London.
Like we said, stay tuned to Simpl (both on our blog and on Twitter @Simplco) for the latest news, details and inspirations relating to Interactivism, and we hope you see your ideas up soon!
