Interactivism is back and this time the challenge is about using digital tech to help children and young people get the most out of the internet and stay safe. Interactivism // Think Kids launches today with a call for projects, products and prototypes on FutureGov’s new Simpl Challenges platform. The finalists will be invited to attend a Pitch Day and demo their ideas to a panel of judges at Google Campus on Thursday 6th December 2012 and will be competing for a membership to this sought after co-working space in the heart of Tech City.
Young people at an Interactivism event
Interactivism is a series of challenge events exploring the use of digital tech to create solutions to topical social issues, run by Google in partnership with FutureGov and other expert organisations. This time, the lead partner is national children’s charity, the NSPCC and we’ve also teamed up with the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec).
This latest challenge takes the form of a pitch day. We are particularly looking for ideas that are already partially developed - while there will be some time for challenge and development during the morning of the pitch day, the day will be more about presenting your product than creating it.
The topic is of course timely, child protection is rarely out of the news. Regardless of big stories, many parents worry about keeping their children safe online and want to protect them from adults, from other children and from disturbing content. But children and young people can use the internet to interact, learn, explore and express themselves in a way past generations never thought possible and Interactivism // Think Kids is all about focussing on these positive benefits and removing anything standing in the way of children and young people getting the most out of the digital world. The NSPCC has produced some guidelines on internet safety and are involved in Interactivism to help find creative solutions to this challenge.
If you have, or know of a project, product or prototype that you think could fit the brief, swing by the Interactivism // Think Kids Simpl Challenge page and submit your idea. The deadline for submission is 9pm, Wednesday 14th November 2012. Finalists will then be selected to attend the Pitch Day.
If you don’t have a project to submit, but still want to get involved, you are welcome to join us at the Pitch Day to watch the presentations and hear the keynote speeches. Please visit our Eventbrite page to sign up.
We are also looking for people and organisations who are interested in helping the finalists or winner, either with support and advice on the pitch day or by offering a financial or in-kind reward. Please get in touch if you would like to know more about this.
To keep up to date with all Interactivism//ThinkKids news or to talk to us about this event on Twitter, please follow @simplco and use the hashtag #thinkkids. You can also check out our new Interactivism Facebook page.