Next Generation Awards

Birmingham Civic Society

Twenty-two Year 8 students have been taking part in the Birmingham Civic Society Next Generation Awards Scheme. It is a highly successful citizenship programme that is run by the Birmingham Civic Society for the past eleven years. The scheme is aimed at groups of pupils aged 11 to 14 and is an assessed project-based programme.  Students work in groups to devise a plan to improve one aspect of life for people living in Birmingham. They then develop a 5 minute presentation explaining their idea that they present to an assessment panel.  One group is then chosen to compete in the semi-finals at Newman University where they will be bidding for £1,500 to get their project off the ground. The students came up with some innovative ideas which included a homeless app, a teenage reading competition, a zen garden, a anti-judgement statue, a bus for homeless people, organising events for young carers and advertising on buses about different issues affecting the community.