Digital Makers

A programme to encourage and enable a generation of young people to create rather than simply consume technology.

Digital technologies touch almost every aspect of life and business – but relatively few people create them; most people just use them. We want to mobilise a generation of young people with the drive, confidence and know-how to make new technology – whether websites, apps, hardware, games or brand new innovations. Here's how:

Consortium and campaign: Make Things Do Stuff

Make Things Do Stuff is a platform that gives young people the tools and support to make and share digital things. It's been created by a group of like-minded organisations that want to inspire young people to be creators, not just consumers of digital technologies.

We think that by working together we can make more noise and a bigger impact on the lives of young people so that every young person sees technology as a way to make new things and solve real problems.

The consortium is built on the following values, and if you share our values we'd love to work with you:

• Digital technology is a tool to change the world, knowing how to harness it is a fundamental literacy for the 21st century.
• We learn through making and  sharing.
• We work better together (This is an open movement. Collaboration and sharing are key to its success.)

We will be launching the Make Things Do Stuff platform at the end of May to drive demand for digital making skills among young people and give information on how to participate. In the meantime, take a look at the site so far and find out more: www.makethingsdostuff.co.uk

Watch this space for updates on the progress of Make Things Do Stuff.

Digital Makers Fund

Nesta, Nominet Trust and Mozilla are backing seven organisations with bright ideas for significantly increasing the number of young people who participate in digital Making. These seven ventures will receive a share of the £260,000 - up to £50,000 each - and non-financial support to scale their projects and reach more young people.

They are:

Code Club
Glasgow Science Centre (CoderDojo)
Our Lady's Catholic High School
Printcraft
Technocamps
Technology Will Save Us
Imagication

Back in November 2012, we launched the Digital Makers Fund to support initiatives that invited mass participation, used young people's interests and passions to drive demand and were noisy advocates, who would shout loudly about this work, champion digital making activities and help to raise demand amongst young people.

Find out more about the open call.