Design & Technology Dream Lab competition

Year 8 students at St Anselms College are entering ‘The Dream Lab: a search for young inventors’, which is looking for Britain’s next design superstars.
 

Fronted by two famous faces, Trevor Baylis OBE and Ortis Deley – presenter of The Gadget Show, the competition is giving young people aged 13-to-18 the chance to get their thinking caps on and design a sleep-related gadget or product. The child that comes up with the best design will bag £20,000for their schooland £10,000 for themselves, so the Wirral-based school is really hoping for a winning entry.
 

Mrs Alison Ravenscroft, design and technology co-ordinator at St Anselm's College commented: “The Dream Lab has really captured the students’ imaginations. They’ve been working especially hard to come up with the best ideas possible to enter into the competition. I’ve been blown away by the standard of their designs.
 

“What’s great is that The Dream Lab fits into the curriculum and its website provides a wealth of resources, both for me and the pupils. As the competition’s open throughout summer, it’d make a great holiday project. We’re confident that we can make it to the competition finals!”
 

The closing date for entries is 30 September 2011 and the competition is open now and throughout the summer holidays.

Trevor Baylis OBE, inventor of the wind-up radio, said: “I’m really excited to be involved with this competition. With the Government’s ‘innovation nation’ strategy aiming to boost the economy, it’s clear that Britain’s future lies in design and technology.
 

“Many children who struggle with traditional academic subjects in school find real inspiration in invention, which is why it’s so important that young adults are encouraged to explore the world of innovation from an early age. The Dream Lab gives them the opportunity to do this.”
 

The competition, which is being run in conjunction with secondary schools throughout the UK, will be judged by Trevor Baylis and Ortis Deley. The Dream Lab finalists will receive money-can’t-buy feedback about their inventions and the overall winner will be personally presented with the prize at their school in November.
 

Ortis Deley commented: “I’m a massive gadget fiend, so I’m looking forward to judging the inventions. By using a hands-on approach, the young people involved will really get a feel for design. A lot of kids use very sophisticated technology from an early age, so it’s going to be interesting to see what they come up with!”
 

The campaign to find Britain’s brightest young design star is sponsored by Sound Asleep, the creator of innovative audio gadgets, such as the original Sound Asleep pillow.
 

Jamie Moryoussef, operations director at Sound Asleep, said: “In a time when cutbacks are affecting schools directly, we were eager to develop a competition which offered a life-changing prize for both schools and students. Sound Asleep was founded on the principle of innovation, so we feel strongly about design and technology within schools. We’re looking forward to seeing the entries roll in!”