Ideagen champions cross-sector collaboration at ‘Thinking and Doing Differently' youth conference

Ideagen, together with Nottingham Forest Community Trust, was invited to the 'Thinking and Doing Differently' event to showcase the 'Think Big', program recently.

The pioneering digital skills and aspiration-building program for secondary school students was showcased as a powerful model of cross-sector collaboration between a global technology company and a leading community organization.

The Conference, which included over 120 senior leaders from business, education, public services and the voluntary sector, was organized by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Gary Godden, in partnership with the Raleigh Education Trust and It's in Nottingham Foundation.

It aimed to foster a shift from fragmented, short-term youth support in the region where Ideagen is headquartered, towards long-term, collaborative action to address rising concerns about school exclusions, youth vulnerability and regional deprivation.

The Think Big program, offered at no cost to schools, provides students with exposure to industry-relevant topics such as coding, marketing, artificial intelligence and technology in sports. Since its launch in 2021 as part of Ideagen's partnership with Nottingham Forest, the program has engaged over 56,000 students across 60 Nottinghamshire schools.

Natalie Baker-Napier, Head of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Partnership, commended the Think Big initiative, stating:

Photographer: Lamar Francois.