Young people create mobile apps for social change

Summary

Apps for Good is a program by CDI where young people learn to create mobile and Facebook apps that can change their world. Apps for Good programme is now being delivered in 100 schools across the UK, training 5,000+ young people. .

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

While the UK can certainly be classified as a digitally advanced country globally, it is still facing a clear digital divide. Marginalised or socially excluded people are three times less likely to have regular access to information technology and the internet than the rest of the population, thus becoming doubly excluded.

How will this project solve this problem?

Apps for Good is a programme where young people learn to create mobile and Facebook apps to solve real-life problems. Through the guidance of an Apps for Good instructor, peer learning and the Apps for Good Expert Community of designers, developers and entrepreneurs, teams learn about all steps in the software product development process in a very practical way. We believe we are bridging the knowledge gap in technology and putting the tools in the hands of young people.

Potential Long Term Impact

There are currently 5,000 students going through the Apps for Good course in 100 schools in the UK. Our goal is that more than 50% of these partners are schools based in low-income areas. On top of focusing on students from deprived areas in the UK, we have a strong bias towards having more girls in the course. Currently 41% of our students are girls.

Project Message

There's no such thing as a "typical day" on this course and this is one of the best parts of it. We get so many opportunities to express ourselves and meet successful people we never dreamed of.
- Mohima Ahmed, Apps for Good student, 16 years