Contenders ready? Children aged 7-11-years-old at UK primary schools should get set for a new challenge to design a gadget to improve sporting performance.
BBC Children’s and Education and the Micro:bit Educational Foundation have teamed up with the hit TV show Gladiators to call on primary schools to take part in an exciting new design competition.
The Gladiators are throwing down the gauntlet for children to design an innovative gadget which uses the pocket-sized micro:bit computer to enhance their performance. It’s all about design and is the perfect way to start with the BBC micro:bit. All that is needed is the desire to explore and create.
The competition closes at midday on Friday 6 December 2024 and the winner will be announced on Monday 10 March 2025.
The winning school will receive a visit from a Gladiator, a £500 voucher for computing equipment and have their design turned into a prototype gadget. They will also enjoy a special Gladiator-themed coding day with a BBC micro:bit expert. The top 50 schools will also win classroom sets of micro:bits.
Phantom said, “We want to hear the exciting ideas children come up with to test our fitness. No need to know about coding, just use your imagination to set us a challenge to help us to become faster, stronger and even more unstoppable!”
Dynamite added, “Technology can really help improve performance by measuring lots of different aspects including speed, force and balance. So, get creative and think about fun ways to use the BBC micro:bit to improve our sporting performance.”
Gareth Stockdale, CEO, Micro:bit Educational Foundation, said “We are so excited to put the power of both the BBC micro:bit and the Gladiators into pupils’ hands. Design thinking is a valuable process to teach children, using it in this competition is a fun way to get all pupils involved.
“Nearly 700,000 micro:bits have been distributed to UK primary schools, funded by Nominet as part of the BBC micro:bit – the next gen campaign. With the features packed onto the micro:bit and the incredible skills of Dynamite and Phantom, the creative possibilities are endless – we can’t wait to see what UK schools come up with.”
The competition launches with an exclusive Live Lesson featuring Phantom and Dynamite, which is available to watch on the BBC Teach website.
Each school can submit a maximum of three entries. The competition is open to UK residents aged between 7 and 11 years of age. The entry form, terms and conditions and privacy notice can be found at bbc.co.uk/microbit