Dundee Youngsters Encouraged to Sign-up for “One Day Digital”

13/2/13

Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, wants young people in Dundee and the surrounding area to come and design and make the digital technologies of the future.

The free "One Day Digital" event will take place at the Queen Mother Building at Dundee University on Saturday 2 March from 10am to 5pm.  The event is being organised by Nesta and supported by the Nominet Trust, O2 Think Big and the Scottish Government.  It is part of the wider Nesta programme, "Digital Makers", which aims to mobilise a generation of young people with the drive, confidence and know-how to make new technology.

At "One Day Digital", young people aged between 13 and 16 will spend the day getting to grips with leading technologies and get the chance to design and make their own smart phone app, website, animation or game, as well as learning and seeing how the technology behind 3D Printing works.  There will also be a chance to win a Raspberry Pi computer.

Working with organisations such as BBC, STV and the University of Dundee, this event will give young people an insight in to the kind of digital skills that will be essential in the future.  Organisations such as Mozilla, the creators of the FireFox web browser, Coder DoJo, who help young people learn computer coding skills and Dundee-based independent video games developers, Quartic Llama, will work with those attending throughout the day.

Minister for Learning Dr Alasdair Allan said: "Young people should be able to engage with, experience and understand the technologies available to them in the 21st Century.  I am pleased to support these events, and welcome the involvement of wider digital partners.  

"Nesta's Digital Makers programme complements the learning young people experience as part of Curriculum for Excellence, where they have opportunities to develop their ICT skills across the curriculum, and experience learning in computing."

Jackie McKenzie, Head of Innovation Programmes in Scotland for Nesta said: "We are excited that the first of these events is taking place in Dundee, the home of Nesta's work in Scotland.   Over the years, this city has shown that it can be at the leading edge of digital technology so it is particularly fitting that young people here will be the first to get the opportunity to learn how to make the next generation of technology and digital products that will shape the future."

Martyn Wallace O2 Practice Manager Scotland said on behalf of O2 Think Big: "We are proud to be able to do our part in supporting Nesta and the One Day Digital events taking place in Scotland across March. O2 is a firm believer and investor in young people, as demonstrated by our Think Big project, and like Nesta we are keen to help them gain and develop their digital skills that are now becoming ever important to businesses like ours."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The "One Day Digital" event with take place at the Queen Mother Building of Dundee University on Saturday 2 March from 10am to 5pm.  Attendance is free but places are limited and must be reserved in advance at http://onedaydigital.eventbrite.com/

Join the One Day Digital Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/onedaydigital

Follow the event on Twitter at @onedaydigital

The event in Dundee is the first of four events taking place across Scotland during March.  The others will take place on:

• 16 March - Aberdeen Science Centre
• 23 March - Glasgow Science Centre
• 30 March - Edinburgh Science Centre

About Nesta: www.nesta.org.uk   

Nesta is the UK's innovation foundation. We help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. We do this by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills. We are an independent charity and our work is enabled by an endowment from the National Lottery.

Nesta Operating Company is a registered charity in England and Wales with a company number 7706036 and charity number 1144091. Registered as a charity in Scotland number  SC042833. Registered office: 1 Plough Place, London, EC4A 1DE