Our 2023 highlights!

Celebrating the end of another great year, we asked the Apps for Good team to share their top moment of 2023. It wasn't easy to pick just one! Here are our highlights...

Ross Dempster-Johnson, Head of Programmes

What a year! There have been many stand out moments but one that really stands out for me was attending the Climate Change and Digital Innovation Summit (#CCADIS). This event, which took place in April 2023, was organised by The Chiltern Learning Trust and brought together over 120 students as well as industry partners and tech volunteers, with the primary aim of enabling the students across the trust to showcase the climate app ideas that they had developed as part of Apps for Good’s Innovate for Climate Change course. It was a truly fantastic event which highlighted the innovation and creativity of the students as well as the impact of our Innovate for Climate Change course. I am already looking forward to the next event in April 2024 and speaking with more students about their innovative app ideas.

Georgie Packer, Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager

My top moment of 2023 came when watching one of the Showcase Judge’s Favourite calls. All of the students I watched throughout the process were incredible, but one presentation really stuck in my mind. I watched a student team from West Bromwich Collegiate Academy present their idea - Never Forget, A digital friend for carers of people living with Dementia. The app was inspired by one of the student’s own lives - seeing his mum care for his grandmother with the condition. The emotion and innovation in that pitch shone through in equal measure, and it was truly inspiring to see such a well thought out idea come from genuine personal experience.

Lucy Perkins, Head of Finance

There have been so many memorable moments during my few months at Apps for Good. A standout for me was joining a Career Session held over zoom, set up by Apps for Good with volunteers from across the technology sector, sharing their experience with the students and answering questions. It was unlike any careers session I ever had in school! Hearing the various career paths, learnings and insights from successful and talented industry professionals, felt so incredibly privileged. We were broadening these students' horizons, showing them possibilities and opportunities that they never knew existed. I felt incredibly proud to be part of something so special.

Jodie Campbell, Senior Education Community Manager

There's been so many great moments in 2023 that it's been hard to choose just one! A real highlight for me was observing delivery to a class in Chase High School alongside a group of volunteers from Google's DeepMind. Watching the students go from initially a bit wary and uncertain of their abilities to building something they were excited by and proud of was amazing to witness. One of the groups even demonstrated a barcode they had made from Lego which linked to their built tech product. It really highlighted the impact of industry volunteers on students.

Lucille Harrison, Digital Marketing Manager

Having only joined Apps for Good in September, I have already seen so many exciting and inspiring things happening during just a couple of months. As Digital Marketing Manager I get to see all the conversations happening on social media from delivering schools, and I really love seeing their enthusiasm as they share how students are getting on. One thing that stands out in particular is when students from Dunoon in Scotland travelled all the way to London for a day at BNY Mellon’s offices. It was such an amazing opportunity for them and you could tell that everyone involved had such an amazing day!

Emma Posey, Senior Learning Manager

We've been creating films to accompany each of our core courses. We shot the App for Social Good film in London with some fantastic socially-active entrepreneurs. We then went on to create two films for teachers, introducing them to the content for the courses. I am always amazed at the breadth of talent and intense focus that socially-engaged entrepreneurs have when creating an innovative app. And I’m so grateful that they care about society and want to make things better because it really helps to inspire young people. We’re finding films an efficient way to communicate to both teachers pre-course and to students during the course. I’m looking forward to creating more films to bring computing to life!

Natalie Moore, Chief Executive Officer

I actually spent the majority of 2023 watching Apps for Good from afar whilst I was at home on maternity leave with my little girl Freya. So, I’d have to say my favourite moment of 2023 was coming back to work in September and feeling like I’d never left (in the best way possible). Returning to work can feel intimidating after some time off, but the entire team, which included some new faces, welcomed me with open arms, and I’ve slotted right back into our supportive, collaborative, inclusive and empowering team! Feeling proud of everything the team achieved in 2023 and excited for what 2024 will bring.

Kathy Sheppard-Barnes, Education Community Manager

A stand out moment of 2023 for me has to be attending SAGE’s EmPowerCyber event in Newcastle, which hosted around 1200 Year 8 girls from schools across the NorthEast over two days in November. Apps for Good took part as 1 of 40 local and global organisations running hands-on, interactive and technology related activities, aiming to inspire and excite the next future generation of women into tech based careers. Our students got a taste of our newest core course, App for Social Action, during their workshops with us, learning how to take positive social action on the things they care about most, for a community close to their heart. Each group had to pitch their social action app idea at the end of their session and we were blown away by the enthusiasm and creativity our students displayed!

Jess Dillon, Head of Communications and Marketing

Eek, this is tough! My top moment of 2023 has to be talking to teachers and students while doing the research for our annual Impact Report and then feeling super proud to shout from the rooftops about the positive impact we’ve made on them. It’s heartwarming to hear directly from students about how much fun they had working within their teams about things they care about - oozing with confidence and passion about their ideas. I love speaking to teachers and students. It’s the best way for us to learn.

Laura Price, Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager

I’m new to Apps for Good so my stand out moment is easy to choose! The in-person team meeting in London in November. Joining the Apps for Good team had been a really positive, smooth process and everybody had been very welcoming and supportive virtually but it’s always a bit nerve wracking to meet the whole team in one go in person - especially when your train gets rerouted and you turn up late! No need to worry though, It was so lovely to feel immediately part of something inspiring and important. We may be a small team but we get results! I’m excited to meet our teachers and students next term and see what Apps for Good achieves in 2024.