INGENIOUS young students at a Rugby secondary school have been shortlisted for a national design award by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A team of year 7 pupils at Houlton School have reached the final of the V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge – which tasks students to come up with innovative ideas to solve real-world problems – for the second year running.
The team’s idea for ‘My Card’ – a communication assistive device for young people with autism or social anxiety – has been shortlisted in the ‘Adapt’ category out of 271 entries.
The device aims to make communication easier and more comfortable for the user by discreetly notifying a selected adult, such as a teacher, when they need help in class.
Judges said the design was a ‘playful, thoughtful, practical design that could really benefit people’.
Team members from last year’s Houlton entry – who won the ‘Move’ category for ‘The Rewalkable’, an adjustable, moisture-sensing walking stick for the partially sighted – helped this year’s team with their conception and submission.
The school’s Creative Subject Leader Russell Hill said: “I am endlessly proud of our pupils’ ability to shape the world around them through innovative and aspirational ideas.
“Their level of empathy is second to none and, teamed with their skilful design choices, has yet again resulted in an outstanding achievement.
“Whatever the outcome on the pitching and awards day, the team should be incredibly proud to be part of such an elite group of young people.”
The team will travel to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London next Tuesday (March 21) to pitch their ideas to the judges.
