As already publicised on this website, Wick High School leads the way in a national competition called Apps For Good. Mr Chris Aitken, our computing science teacher, tells us more about a recent trip that he took with some of his successful students to Inverness after being invited to speak to assembled councilors…

A group of S4 pupils and I were invited to talk to members of the Highland Council Education, Children & Adults Services committee in the council chambers in Inverness. We were asked to talk about the Apps for Good initiative, the success that Wick High has seen and the opportunities that have arisen from our participation in the scheme.

Megan and Leanne from Team Innovate, talked about their success in reaching the UK finals, along with 17 other teams (3 from Wick!) and explained how their app aimed to help people get unwanted items to the right cause.

Konrad and John from One Click Politics, winners of their respective category spoke about how they aim to get young people tuned in to politics by building an app that helps demystify the sector and make parties and politics more accessible to them.

Ellora from team Envirocache talked about the opportunities that have arisen for her since the Apps for Good competition finished. Although her team never made it to the UK final, she was talented enough to be awarded a place at the prestigious Outbox Incubator along with 115 other girls. Outbox’s purpose is to prepare young female STEM entrepreneurs for a life in industry by offering them mentoring and seed funding to pursue their business ideas. Ellora went on to explain how the opportunities that have been offered to her since second year Computing Science has inspired her into pursuing a career in the sector and she hopes to go on to study CS at university. At the end of her two weeks at Outbox in London, Ellora went on to win the award for best design.

After the presentation, councillors expressed their gratitude and congratulations at the success seen by our pupils and noted that they hoped other schools would follow our model. Caithness civic leader Gail Ross, said: “It makes me proud to be a Wicker today. Your presentations were excellent and you are really good role models for Wick, Highland and young people across the whole of the UK.”

View our presentation here: http://bit.ly/1QlPzj8

A recorded webcast can also be viewed here: http://bit.ly/1LV6UOr