Cedars Upper School triumphs in National Apps Competition

Guided by their teachers Stephen Birtles and Dave Anderson, who run regular lunchtime computer clubs and dedicated Apps for Good sessions, these talented students have mastered and applied app design principles to propel their idea to national success by showcasing their ability to innovate for the greater good.

The Apps for Good programme empowers young people to identify a problem they really care about and then design the solution. This charity encourages learners to hone their digital skills by focusing on issues affecting their families, communities, and the wider world with an increasing emphasis on climate change and sustainability, through projects tackling challenges like recycling and reducing food waste.

The team created Cedars Uniform Market Place, an ingenious prototype app addressing the significant environmental impact of school clothing by promoting the social and financial benefits of recycling and trading outgrown clothes. Impressively, a software developer will now help them develop it for wider use across other schools.

The Cedars team recently took first prize when Chiltern Academy in Luton hosted a regional Apps for Good heat at the Climate Change and Digital Innovation Summit (CCADIS). Not satisfied with just taking top honour at this local heat, the student team pushed on with their app to fight off 220 other projects to take the Ethical Innovators trophy at national level.

The news of their win was met with immense excitement. Student Ellie shared, "It feels great to be a part of something that will have such an impact on people in our community. Team mate Samuel was "thrilled" to hear their hard work resulted in "excellent results". For Lennie, the announcement sparked immediate celebration: "I jumped up and down shouting, 'We won, we won!' I’m so happy to be involved in something that will help so many parents out there – especially those who might struggle to afford the prices of school uniforms each year"

Head Teacher Mark Gibbs commented, "We are immensely proud of this achievement. Our students have a real passion for sustainability and waste reduction, which they want to share with our local community and at national level also, through their ideas and technological innovation."