Year 8 students from Tewkesbury Academy attended Empower, an annual hands-on cyber and technology event hosted at the University of Gloucestershire, where they had the opportunity to explore the exciting world of digital technology, cybersecurity and innovation.
Now in its fifth year, Empower is an engaging and interactive event designed to inspire young people, particularly those who may not yet have considered a career in the digital sector. The event encourages students to discover the wide range of opportunities available in digital technology (Digitech), cybersecurity and frontier technologies.
Throughout the day, students enthusiastically participated in a range of practical workshops and challenges designed to develop their problem-solving, teamwork and digital skills. Activities included cracking a code to unlock a chest, protecting a city from a cyberattack, completing a digital escape room and attempting to steal a secret chicken recipe from a chicken shop.
A particular highlight of the day was the digital escape room challenge, in which Ellen, a Year 8 student, achieved the highest score and finished top of the leaderboard at the end of the event. In recognition of her achievement, Ellen won a family cinema voucher.
Tom Lakin, Lead Teacher in Computing and IT at Tewkesbury Academy, said: “Students were a credit to the school, showing excellent enthusiasm, teamwork and problem-solving skills throughout the day.
“It was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore careers in cyber and computing while developing and applying real-world skills used by industry professionals every day.”
