Enzen launches third year of community programme for Birmingham schools
Primary and secondary schools across Birmingham are being invited to sign up for a free competition exploring the 'future metaverse ' that will give them access to cutting-edge industry knowledge and the chance to win cash prizes.
Mission: Sustainability is a community programme led by Enzen, a global knowledge enterprise based in Solihull focused on making energy and water more accessible, affordable and sustainable for all.
Following three successful programmes in 2020, 2021 and 2022, Enzen is appealing for schools to take part in this year's scheme, which begins in early March to coincide with British Science Week.
Partnering with Enzen is its group company and digital pioneers MX Reality, which specialises in producing Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and Artificial Intelligence solutions for industry.
Such Digital Reality technologies will form the basis of what 's known as the metaverse - a single, universal and immersive virtual world that could transform how we create and interact as communities.
Mission: Sustainability is FREE to enter. Participating schools receive an innovation fund to invest in creative science teaching, access to the latest Digital Reality industry knowledge to inform their lessons and the opportunity to join talks from Enzen colleagues about the brilliant opportunities available from careers in engineering.
In return Enzen will set pupils in Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5 challenges themed on how Digital Reality and the metaverse can be used to build a more sustainable world.
Entries will be judged by senior Enzen and MX Reality colleagues and the winning pupils announced in July, with their schools earning cash prizes of up to £300 to spend on science teaching.
Sanjay Neogi, head of UK and Europe at Enzen, said: “As a global energy and water knowledge enterprise, Enzen is passionate about sharing its sustainability expertise with young people and giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents.
“Mission: Sustainability is an excellent opportunity for the next generation to apply digitalisation, ingenuity and awareness to understand how they can make the life essentials of energy and water more sustainable. ”
Majid Al-Kader, CEO of MX Reality, said: “We 're delighted to join Enzen in its Mission: Sustainability programme. Engaging and inspiring young people about the potentials of digital technology to change society for the better is fundamental to what both our organisations do.
“We 're looking forward to seeing how pupils channel their enthusiasm for digital with their classroom knowledge to imagine the utilities of the future. ”
Running every year since 2020, Mission: Sustainability has proved a success in the West Midlands, the region where the Enzen story began in 2006 and which is home to Enzen 's corporate headquarters.
In 2022, the programme won the Social Impact category at the Energy Innovation Awards and the Sustainability category at the Education Awards.
Dr Sam Rashid, head of Science at 2022 participants Langley School, said: “We participated in Mission: Sustainability to give our students the opportunity to think outside the box and come up with solutions to real-world problems. Our school benefited tremendously from this experience and I would love to see more young people and their teachers take up the challenge in 2023. ”
To register for the programme, teachers should email mission.sustainability@enzen.com with their name, position, school, location and which Key Stage Challenge they 'd like to take part in. The deadline for registration is Friday 3 March 2023.
Pictured: Children at Balsall Common Primary School won the Creativity challenge in Mission: Sustainability 2022