Donna Hay Award for Impact 2022

We're thrilled to announce Hannah Percival from West Bromwich Collegiate Academy is our Educator of the Year and receives our Donna Hay Award for Impact.

Hannah's commitment to championing Apps for Good and its courses is second to none and we are thrilled with her students' achievements!

Hannah helped embed Apps for Good across West Bromwich Collegiate Academy, allowing over 100 student teams the chance to take part in our Showcase this year. She made use of many of our engagement opportunities, such as booking virtual industry sessions across the department which allowed the students the chance to have their ideas heard by industry experts. Hannah has been a delight to work with this year and continues to support us with our mission to help reach children across the UK.

Tell us about the impact of Apps for Good on your students.

Apps for Good has harnessed students’ interest and supported them in their understanding of the app development journey. At West Bromwich Collegiate Academy, we have used the App Development Standard resources provided by Apps for Good and supplemented these with our own bespoke resources to allow students to design, plan and build their own apps. Students have used App Lab to practice their programming skills and create click-through-prototypes of their app.

What are the key benefits for students taking part in an Apps for Good course?

Students have benefitted hugely from their involvement in Apps for Good. They are now able to understand the real-world context of app development and have been so lucky to have engaged with industry experts provided by Apps for Good through the programme. Students have been able to present their ideas to experts and receive immediate feedback on what they have done well and what can be improved. The feedback provided by leading industry experts at different stages of the theme, has been invaluable to support students to improve their app design and build. This is something which students would not have received, if it were not for Apps for Good. Engaging with experts and participating in Apps for Good has also led to students thinking about their own future career and aspirations, and many have expressed an interest in Computer Science and programming as a result.

What would you say to other teachers looking for new ways to teach tech innovation and computing?

This year has been the first time that students at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy have studied Apps for Good. It has been such a successful, positive experience, that we would not hesitate to recommend it to other teachers who are looking for a new and interesting way to teach about computing. We will definitely be involved again next year!