Building Blocks returns to Helix to inspire the next generation

The social impact event that everyone was talking about is returning to Newcastle Helix this year- even bigger and better.

Aimed at inspiring future generations about the jobs of tomorrow, the site will welcome 240 primary school children from the local area so they can get to grips with the working world of STEM.

Newcastle Helix is about The Future. This includes being part of talent pipelines for the wider science and tech sector. ‘Building Blocks 2024’ is something the Helix community is proud to support and plug into the wider North East connections between education and industry.

‘Building Blocks’ gives hundreds of 9 and 10 year-old children the opportunity to take part in workshops which can spark their imagination about opportunities in the world of study and work. It’s a unique event as those children are all on-site in the midst of a normal working day in The Catalyst building, giving the students a chance to soak up the real-life atmosphere of an innovation site.

The hands-on, accessible workshops will feature everything from Lego to AI, from real-world coding to LED challenges. This year, they’ll be facilitated by Helix occupiers CGI, Altitude Foundation and the National Innovation Centre for Data; alongside Helix partners RTC North and the Newcastle United Foundation.

The Year 5 children are from selected schools in the neighbourhoods around Helix. They’ve been invited by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (which is based in The Lumen building at Helix) and have been taking part in their impactful Child Poverty Prevention Programme.

Many of the children attending our debut ‘Building Blocks’ event last year were receiving SEND and ESL support. The reviews from their accompanying teachers and assistants talked of the positive impact their visit to Helix was having on these students, in terms of opening their eyes to future possibilities.

Charlie Charlton, Community Engagement Manager at Newcastle Helix said: “The energy of ‘Building Blocks’ is something special. I will never forget the noise of hundreds of children jumping up and down to a world-famous coding DJ; seeing their excited faces as they programmed light boxes and worked through AI challenges; and their sheer joy at building Lego to solve problems.

This year we’ve been able to invite more students- going from 180 to 240 primary school children. And we’ve made room for more workshops, filling five fantastic spaces in the eye-catching Catalyst building, while the Helix community continue with their day-to-day research and work.

Social impact is centred on bringing communities together. For us that means strengthening our relationships between education and industry. As part of this knowledge transfer we’re connecting local schools with Helix partner Newcastle University, with cutting-edge businesses at Helix and public sector occupiers, as well as with our external partners who are already having an incredible impact across the wider North East. Talking of which, we’re delighted that ‘Building Blocks’ will once again be part of TechNExt, the region’s festival promoting our growing and world-leading technology sector.”

The technology event aims to inspire younger generations about a future for them and their families in booming North East STEM academia and industries. It’s one of more than 50 events spanning the five days of TechNExt, from 17-21 June 2024, with over 3000 attendees expected across the Festival.

Building Blocks is supported by the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) and the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD). It is an invitation-only event for selected schools.