Two Pendle and Ribble Valley schools make it to the Design4SDGs Design Challenge finals at the world’s biggest EdTech show Bett UK 2024

Bowland High in Grindleton and Barrowford Primary School have been chosen as finalists for the Design4SDGs Design Challenge for their clever solutions to problems like food waste and climate change.

The pupils, aged nine to 14, will present their ideas to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals on the main stage of this week’s Bett UK 2024 in London, in front of thousands of industry experts.

Emma Vandore, Bett’s Head of Content, said: “We are so excited to welcome such wonderfully creative children from Bowland High, and Barrowford Primary School to Bett UK 2024, the world’s biggest EdTech show. With so many threats facing the planet right now, the importance of the UN’s SDGs has never been more pronounced. It is inspiring to see these young people present their innovative solutions to the urgent challenges their generation will face head-on.”

The two schools were selected from 45 across Britain. Pupils from Bowland High have produced apple sauce from the school’s apple trees and surrounding nature reserves to help combat food waste while children from Barrowford Primary came up with an idea to create an easily accessible app offering daily doses of easy positive climate actions, like “only boiling the cuppa you need. Each week, there will be how-to videos, hacks and tips, and other ways that everyone can make small changes with big consequences.

The national design challenge aims to drive grassroot innovation in schools across four key areas: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication.