{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"Over 112 years ago, an experimental camp took place on Brownsea Island that started the Scout movement. Last weekend, that spirit of innovation was alive and well with Preparing for the Future, a Digital Camp at Gilwell Park to tackle the biggest issues of the day, and launch a partnership between Plusnet and Scouts.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2018There\u2019s no other Earth,\u2019 says Humaira, a Scout from Newham, \u2018That\u2019s why we\u2019ve created an app to remind people to take good decisions to care for it.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt\u2019s a bright Sunday morning at an autumnal Gilwell Park. Humaira is part of a team of four working on the app they\u2019re calling \u2018Eco-Earth\u2019. In front of them is a distinctive green Raspberry Pi, which they\u2019re using to bring their app to life. They came up with the concept, name and did all the coding themselves. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELike any great idea, it\u2019s super simple. It asks you a series of questions to make you think about your lifestyle and its impact on the environment. \u2018For example,\u2019 says Humaira, \u2018are you taking a journey today? If yes, could you walk or take public transport instead of travelling by car. By answering these, it helps you take the best decision.\u2019 \u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA force for positive change \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt\u2019s just one of the brilliant projects being developed during the weekend-long hackathon to launch a partnership between Scouts and Plusnet. It\u2019s all about helping young people gain digital skills and apply them to solve real world problems such as mental wellbeing, disability and the environment, showing the positive role the Internet can play as a force for positive change. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt\u2019s made all the more inspiring by the facts that the Scouts are from different backgrounds and parts of the country. \u003C/span\u003EPowered by a steady supply of satsumas and custard creams, the teams of Scouts from Newham, in London and Sheffield are tackling some of the biggest issues of the day \u2013 all themes from A Million Hands, the Scouts pioneering social impact campaign, while learning coding, project management and design.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom a digital diary for people with autism, that translates emotions into emojis to a motion sensitive camera to catch big game poachers in Africa, the young people\u2019s projects show incredible ambition and imagination.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAtif is the thoughtful Head of Digital Skills at Plusnet and one of the four judges here today. \u2018Innovative events like these are empowering young people with real world skills and introducing them to new ways of working with technology. It\u2019s a moment in their lives to unlock new skills and career paths they hadn\u2019t thought of before. That\u2019s so vital as we enter the fourth industrial age.\u2019 \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETackling the big issues \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe room is a hive of activity \u2013 as well as computers, wires and motherboards, bits of coloured card, ribbons, Duct tape and felt tips cover every surface. It\u2019s a heady mix of arts and science (what Sam, from the Scouts\u2019 Community Impact Group, calls STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths, as one step beyond STEM). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFacilitated by Raspberry Pi Foundation\u2019s energetic team, the Scouts are learning fast \u2013 not just the programming side of things, but project planning too. The walls are plastered with brightly coloured post-it notes to create their own project board showing their progress. It\u2019s inspiring to see young people taking so easily to these methods.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrances, Curtis and Ellis are working on Ronnie the Robot \u2013 a cheerful cardboard creation with flashing amber eyes and a screen on his belly. Detecting someone walking past with his sensor, Ronnie alerts them with a fanfare, before displaying a complement to improve self-esteem and mental wellbeing. \u2018I\u2019m most proud that we\u2019ve coded it ourselves, says Francis. \u2018We\u2019d not really had experience of Python (the programming language) before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMeanwhile Mariah and Francis are creating the Happybox, a colourful way promote the power of kindness, supporting Red Cross. It plays music on command with the simple outcome of making people smile. \u2018It took two days to make and programme,\u2019 says Francis. \u2018It was challenging at first, but we\u2019re now so much more confident.\u2019\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe projects are both original and ingenious. \u00A0Aatikah is working on a project to support WWF and help highlight climate change. \u2018We\u2019re making a drone, at this stage just made out of cardboard, to send over icebergs. There\u2019s a sensor that will send an alert and photograph if the temperature rises over -10 degrees.\u2019 I ask why it\u2019s important. \u2018If sea levels rises, there will be flooding and animals\u2019 habitats will be endangered.\u2019 Issac, also on the team, is all too familiar with the threats of flooding, having just come down from a rain-drenched Sheffield.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWorking together \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn so many ways, the weekend has echoes of that original experimental camp on Brownsea Island. Scouts from different places and backgrounds have come together to form new teams, learn from each and collaborate on projects. The difference this time is that the projects are digital, but when you see these new friends walking together through the autumn leaves, exchanging ideas you realise not so much has changed.\u00A0 \u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2018We really enjoyed working together,\u2019 says one of the Scouts. \u2018We realised that it\u2019s not that far from Sheffield to London and that we have a lot in common.\u2019 \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u2018This is one of the best things we\u2019ve done as a Group,\u2019 says Elyas, Group Scout Leader of 7\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C/sup\u003E Newham. \u2018I\u2019m so impressed by the teams facilitating this. I thought one or two Scouts might drop out, but they\u2019ve all really enjoyed it. I was going to leave them to it, but I\u2019ve been so inspired I\u2019ve stuck around all weekend too.\u2019 \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThumbs up from Reggie Yates \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA highlight for the Scouts was TV presenter Reggie Yates, joining the judging panel. Taking time to speak to all of the young people, (and award them a special badge, of course) he was bowled over by the skills and creativity on display:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is a really beautiful way of getting Scouts to think about the future. These kids are coding and creating. For all we know the next Bill Gates could here. The\u003Cem\u003E\u00A0\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPlusnet x Scouts: Preparing for the Future\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u00A0\u003C/em\u003Eproject is a testament to these young minds and some of the ideas I\u2019ve seen this weekend have been truly inspirational.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4786/plusnet7.jpg","width":750,"height":500,"altText":"Reggie Yates","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"19 November 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":76423,"nodeName":"Making change happen at the Scouts x Plusnet digital camp","title":"Making change happen at the Scouts x Plusnet digital camp ","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/4789/plusnet5.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd29a320b0","caption":"Plusnet5","type":"jpg","size":1975234,"width":4032,"height":3024,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Making change happen at the Scouts x Plusnet digital camp ","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Last weekend, that spirit of innovation was alive and well with Preparing for the Future, a Digital Camp at Gilwell Park.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjQyMyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/november/making-change-happen-at-the-scouts-x-plusnet-digital-camp/"}