Big Ideas Programme Coordinator, Max Homan, reflects on his first year running the programme in South England…
Many workplaces discuss tactics on how to keep their workforce motivated, but I’ve found since joining the Big Ideas Programme, we don’t need to have those discussions – the Big Ideas Days are the best motivation you can get.
I joined Solutions for the Planet in September last year and have now finished my first Big Ideas Day season. There are so many things to highlight in a relatively short amount of time. In just over 4 months, between our 3-person team, we delivered to 27 schools, 12 of them in my region (some hosting multiple days), working with more than 3,000 students across all regions, and travelling over 5,000 miles (always using public transport or car sharing, of course!).
Our stats are impressive but what stands out the most for me is the difference between the beginning and end of a Big Ideas Day. At the beginning of the day students can be a little reserved and tentative to participate. Mentors can be startled being in a school again with scores of young people around them. Teachers can be occupied trying to get everything in place and ready. S4TP staff can be busy getting everything prepped, and it’s quite nerve-wracking getting 100+ students to engage with you!
However, as the day progresses and teams are rushing to put the finishing touches to their Big Ideas, there is a buzz in the air. It’s happened in every school we visit. The buzz is from students no longer tentative but spirited and invested instead. Teams practice their presentation with water bottles acting as microphones, there are passionate debates to decide whose idea to follow, with sudden exclamations by someone discovering the next ground-breaking idea. It is loud, energetic, and inspiring.
Mentors are sitting with the students encouraging them further. They now understand why we have brought them into schools – young people want to know more about the ‘real world’ and hear true experiences about their work. Teachers egg the students on. It has become the pride of my job to hear teachers say, ‘I’ve never seen them engaged like this’.
This change over the course of the day is from young people realising that their ideas and energy can be a catalyst for positive impact. The Big Ideas Day is all about getting young people involved in sustainability and the STEM sector, but what makes the day remarkable is how we use this as a tool for young people to explore, be creative, and want to make a positive impact in whatever direction their future takes them.