Meet the 40 Longitude Explorer Prize finalists
www.nesta.org.uk/blog/meet-40-longitude-explorer-prize-finalists/
www.nesta.org.uk/blog/meet-40-longitude-explorer-prize-finalists/
The Longitude Explorer Prize has announced the 40 teams of 11-16 year olds who have made it through to the finals to win the national technology innovation competition.
From an app that supports students with dyslexia and learning difficulties to a robot companion for those with anxiety and autism
The 40 finalist teams in the fourth Longitude Explorer Prize have now been chosen, after a series of tough deliberation sessions by an expert panel of judges. Thirty were selected from the original semi-finalist cohort, with a further ten chosen from the latest round of wildcard entries.
Other game-changing ideas hoping to win include a robot fish that collects plastic from oceans and a t-shirt that detects heart problems, as well as a bin that automatically sorts rubbish for recyclables and an AI system to monitor and reduce traffic in busy city centres.
Those that have made it through to the finals will now be mentored and supported to develop their ideas, produce designs and prototypes and prepare for a Dragons’ Den style pitch in July to win the £25,000 prize for their school or youth group. Three runner-up teams will also each receive £10,000.
The Longitude Explorer Prize from Nesta Challenges, in partnership with BEIS, supports young people to learn creatively about STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) whilst honing important entrepreneurial life-skills that do not usually get taught in the classroom. The prize calls on the UK’s young people to put their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to the test and use technology – such as artificial intelligence (AI) – for social good. They have been challenged to create and develop solutions to some of the world’s biggest issues, including climate change, living healthier lives, and an ageing population.
It is abundantly clear that our young people are passionate about the great challenges of our time
"It is abundantly clear that our young people are passionate about the great challenges of our time and have the capacity, creativity and power of thought to make the world a better place" said Nesta's Constance Agyeman, "We want to empower young people to not only have bold and brave ideas, but to take that next step, and make them a reality so they can transform the world for the better."
For more details about the finalists in the Longitude Explorer Prize, and to register your interest in taking part next year, visit longitudeexplorer.challenges.org.
