Member Article

Ed-tech startup inspires STEAM students with innovative app

Ed-tech startup, Steam School, is inspiring UK students to pursue a career in STEAM through the development of a new innovative mobile app.

STEAM, which stands for science, technology, education, arts and mathematics, is a relatively new term coined to challenge and inspire those working in STEM subjects to be more creative.

Launched in 2018, Steam School uses the power of technology to introduce global innovators to schools across the UK.

The innovative startup hosts weekly live video podcasts with role models from across the world of science, tech and digital media for #TALKTECHTHURSDAYS. The hour-long broadcasts will see young innovators and guests draw on real-life experience to teach students about the importance of digital skills in the technology sector.

Topics vary from the latest innovations and scientific breakthroughs, to robotics and drone advancements. Students are also encouraged to take part in a weekly challenge to help them further develop their own STEAM skillset.

A number of role models in STEAM sectors have appeared on the programme to date, including US-based Astronaut Abby, Craig Fenton, director for strategy and operations at Google UK and Ireland, Pepper the Companion Robot and Hannah Anderson, digital entrepreneur and co-founder of Social Chain.

Through Activate – a part-funded ERDF business support programme for the digital and creative sector – and its partner Liverpool Business School, Steam School has been granted a 50 per cent rebate of total costs to develop a smartphone app to host the video podcast series. The app, which is set to launch in January 2019, will enable students to watch and interact in any location, as well as catch up with previous episodes on the go.

The funding will also help the startup carry out data-driven marketing, analyzing the data patterns on its website to engage education school leaders and raise awareness of the programme.

Activate also introduced Steam School to The Women’s Organisation, which helped it devise a business plan to create employment opportunities for young people, and scale the company rapidly through its growth programme, New Markets 2.

Jade Parkinson-Hill, founder of Steam School said: “Before approaching Activate, I knew I wanted to create an app but was struggling to find the finance and technical support to pursue the idea. Activate has been invaluable because it enabled me to understand exactly what investment I needed to push the business forward.

“As a result, Steam School is set for accelerated growth. We are now recruiting for a team of undergraduate and graduate presenters, as well as a team of freelance producers and content creators from Liverpool John Moores University.”

Jonathon Clark, business and technology manager, LCR Activate, said: “Technology is transforming all sectors, and it’s vital that we are preparing the younger generation for the world of digital. Innovative companies like Steam School are imperative for this, and its vital that they are aware of projects – like Activate – that are here to help them drive their ideas from concept to reality.”

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