Foundation of Light Harrison Challenge winner announced

The Foundation of Light winner of the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility’s Harrison Challenge has been announced.

The Harrison Challenge encourages students to think outside the box, tasking them with pitching an idea to improve a piece of technology that they may use day-to-day.

The Foundation of Light winner was announced as Olivia Frater for her idea to reinvent popular language learning app Duolingo to aid greater learning.

On Olivia's project, Neil Jones, Skills Officer at the Foundation of Light, said: “It was something quite different, it caught the eye.

“It had good detail, she displayed good knowledge, and there was quite clearly a lot of research around the background of the app. She was confident in front of the group and the speakers in both rounds.

“They liked how she was able to express passion and enthusiasm about the app and her ideas."

For the final presentations, Foundation of Light study programme students were given a valuable experience to visit the True Potential headquarters to present their final pitches.

After delivering their presentations, learners were given a tour of the headquarters including the state-of-the-art podcasting room and meeting areas.

"It was a great experience for them to see what it’s like to be working in that industry," Neil added on the Harrison Challenge. 

“The guys at True Potential were fantastic in terms of setting the tone, it wasn’t too formal, it gave them confidence to stand in front of people and show the passion that they had for their ideas.

“Giving students something that’s a bit more hands-on and work-related is fantastic. We’re looking at their ability to show passion, enthusiasm, and collaborate with their peers.

“There’s an element of competition as well, they all want to win the prize. But the main focus is about working together, problem solving, and thinking creatively."

Among the finalists were Alyxander Memon and Aidan Coverdale with their idea of a personal safety device integrated into mobile phones.

On the experience of competing in the Harrison Challenge, Alyxander said: “It has definitely helped develop our creativity skills because it makes you think outside the box.

“Most of the time you look at technology and think it is fine as it is, but the Harrison Challenge helped us realise that because something is good, it doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon.”

The Harrison Centre for Social Mobility was founded by Sir David Harrison, Chairman of North East based wealth management group True Potential, to increase opportunities for young people across the region regardless of their background.

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