Innovation
Research projects
We allow year 12 students an hour every week to take part in genuine research projects working with academic support from the University of Kent, the University of Cambridge and First Light Fusion collaborating with academics at Imperial College.
Our projects run for students to contribute to research on soil biodiversity, crystal growth for sustainability, dust impacts in space, inertial confinement fusion, biodiversity, psychology and air pollution, environmental management.
As a result of these research collaborations, we are preparing papers on biodiversity and wellbeing published in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, new polymorphs with possible medical applications, dust impacts on the International Space Station, new results on soil biodiversity.
We are embedding innovative critical thinking for youth around modelling future systems. For example, we work with the Doughnut Economics Action Lab and the Circular Economy community.
Having been involved in the First Lego League we are now working with the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Big Bang Fair through Engineering UK, to support and develop innovation plans that students have from these competitions to see if their ideas can be brought to fruition. It appears that in the past these ideas are just left. Now students are taking these ideas forward and leading innovations – for example a student who went on to Imperial has established an accelerator lab for climate innovation there, whilst a student we worked with in Berlin developed the website 10000plus.org for improving understanding of trees.
Meet some of our innovation advisors
We have the support of 26 distinguished advisors from academia and industry to support student innovation
Voice
Our urgent global challenge requires a multidisciplinary call to action which needs a new type of collaborative space for people to come together, putting the next generation and their voice at the heart of what we do.
Nature
Acknowledging the interplay between the wellbeing of humans and our planet - creating and spending time in more biodiverse learning environments will benefit the wellbeing of students and their local environment.
Community
We collaborate across Kent with environment, biodiversity and climate groups as well as with the Canterbury Festival, local companies, language and culture partnerships creating opportunities for young people and communities.