By Brigette Currin 15 March 2019 6 minute read

Let them do what they love!

STEP INTO TECH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Introduction

Our children are growing up in a world that is being transformed by technology, with exciting opportunities for those who can use tech and for society as a whole. Technology matters to every child, whether they are the coders and makers of the future or simply need to understand how technology can help them achieve their own personal goals.

But dealing with this new technology brings challenges. Parents find it difficult to know whether they should be encouraging their children to get more involved with tech or preventing them having too much screen time. Few parents or teachers have the time, the experience and the expertise needed to help children make the most of what is available while also staying safe online.

Meanwhile, employers in every sector are crying out for new employees who have the right skills to develop and use new technologies.

About Step into Tech

Step into Tech is a new social enterprise founded in November 2016 to make sure we are doing all we can to help all our children reach their full tech potential. Our steering group brings together parents, educators, employers and tech specialists.

Existing initiatives to help children get involved with technology tend to focus on narrow age ranges, and on coding rather than the wider world of technology. Many are targeted at schools rather than involving parents/carers. Opportunities can be particularly limited in disadvantaged areas, for parents with limited income and for home-schooled children.

Step into Tech is targeted at children aged 8-18 years, who may or may not have existing interests in creating with technology, along with their parents or carers. Step into Tech adds to existing initiatives in three key ways:

Building connections across the community that make it easier for everyone – parents, teachers, tech clubs and other support providers – to work together in supporting our children
Identifying – and where necessary developing – resources that help parents and teachers provide the right help for each individual child. This will include guidance offering explanations and inspiration for parents (and children themselves), best practice materials for teachers, and an online directory of tech-related workshops and other opportunities.
Setting up Young Makers Tech Clubs in areas of need. The need is clearly demonstrated by the sharp growth in attendance at Step into Tech’s pilot Young Makers Tech Club in Norwich, which has already outgrown its initial location. Parents and educators in several other locations are actively engaged with Step into Tech in exploring how they can set up their own, local Tech Clubs.

Young Makers Tech Club

Young Makers Tech Club offers fortnightly sessions where young people discover a diverse range of technology, careers and skills. They can work in teams and are encouraged and supported to showcase their projects. Participants improve both digital and soft skills, building confidence and identifying clearer pathways to higher education and careers.

Parents and carers also improve their knowledge and understanding of technology and technical skills. They progress from feeling paralysed by the advancement of technology and fear of the unknown to participating and contributing to the growth of their children’s interests. A Young Makers Tech Club connects people from different parts of the community, overcomes isolation, and creates a community for sharing resources, knowledge, skills and experience.

Step into Tech’s pilot Young Makers Tech Club in Norwich launched in January 2017. Three months later the club had outgrown its initial venue (Norwich Millennium Library) and moved to the Develop Centre (an IT training centre for 16-18 year olds) which we were temporarily able to use free of charge.

STEP INTO TECH YOUTH TECHATHON

12^TH AND 13^TH APRIL 2018

SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL

Step into Tech’s Youth Techathon is a two-day event where young people aged 8-18 come together to use tech to work on ideas for solving a problem. Teams of kids invent, design, code and have fun. It is a fantastic way for young people excited by technology to develop skills, receive mentoring and make links with potential employers.

The Techathon is the showpiece event for the Norwich Young Makers Tech Club which offers fortnightly sessions where young people discover a diverse range of technology, careers and skills. Participants improve digital and soft skills, build confidence and identify pathways to higher education and careers.

Sponsorship benefits:

Build brand recognition and reputation among the local community and technology businesses
Promote your product/service or issues that concern you
Help develop and recruit future employees
Support the continued growth of Tech City Norwich
Get exposure in local and tech media and through social media

ABOUT STEP INTO TECH

Step into Tech is a social enterprise that helps children reach their full tech potential. Our pilot Young Makers Tech Club in Norwich has grown quickly. As well as directly helping local children, this club is creating a blueprint for other clubs in the region – two further club locations are under development. Step into Tech is also developing a web portal providing signposting to other events and useful resources. By building connections across the community, we aim to make it easier for parents, teachers, business and other support providers to work together in supporting our children. Through your support, founder sponsors have an opportunity to significantly accelerate the growth of this grass roots to national initiative.

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS

Platinum/Headline sponsor, £2,000 (1)

Co-branding of the event on Step into Tech and Techathon websites, social media and media coverage
Opportunity to run branded workshop
Keynote introduction
Thanks and sponsor information in delegate information
Banner and stand space at event
Opportunity to send employees to mentor event participants
Sponsored challenge presented at start of event
Sponsored prize presented at end of event
Four invitations to Techathon prize-giving networking event
Post-event feedback