ARC, Europe’s leading network of science and innovation clusters, has launched RE:CODE Oxfordshire, a partnership with The Institute of Imagination (iOi), the LEGO Group, UTC Oxfordshire and Raising Robots, giving children across the county the chance to use their imagination and creative skills to tackle real-life coding challenges.
RE:CODE, originally launched in London by iOi, The LEGO Group and The Mayor of London, aims to build coding and creative problem-solving skills in pupils, through activities that deepen learning on real-world themes, whilst boosting 21st century skills. The World Economic Forum estimates that 65% of children entering primary school today, will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.
Over 200 children from schools including Stephen Freeman Community Primary School, Charlton Primary School and All Saints Church of England Primary School and 28 young mentors from UTC Oxfordshire, will be taking part in the eight-week programme; inventing, creating and coding robotic models, that solve real issues such as climate change by building an eco-home or an electric car.
“Solutions to some of the greatest challenges that we face are yet to be designed, developed or even imagined, that’s why allowing the next generation of innovators and scientists the opportunity to think creatively and use their imagination is extremely important.
Science and creative thinking go hand in hand, so we’re hoping that through our partnership with the iOi we can give children the type of knowhow that could land them at the companies making science breakthroughs a decade or so later.”
Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of ARC
The programme aims to steer children towards STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) subjects and demonstrate how they can be applied in real life, as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has found that by the age of seven, children are already facing limits on their future aspirations in work.
“From the first mark on a cave wall, to the first footsteps on the moon, our greatest developments have begun with leaps of imagination. The Institute of Imagination are excited to be partnering with ARC to bring opportunities for children in Oxfordshire to apply their creative ideas while developing a range of skills like engineering, robotics, coding, collaboration and problem solving.
Tom Doust, Executive Director of The Institute of Imagination
Our membership of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CASE) and partnership with the Institute of Imagination (iOi) put us at the heart of the conversation around what science needs. We’re also actively investing in the science communities by launching ARC Future Innovator Bursaries for women students from low-income households within cities where we have a presence.
