Since 2013 we’ve been championing young people, under the age of 23, who work tirelessly, often giving up their free time for unpaid voluntary work, to deliver digital skills to a wide range of audiences. Last year we chose Ryan McMurdo as the winner, for supporting over a thousand people get online and, more importantly, stay online.
This year we have four fantastic finalists in the running for the Young People’s Award. In no particular order, we have Sam Heather, Beth Deer, I’m Okay and Vitória Maurício. Find out more about them here, including the hashtag you need to tweet to vote:
#T4GSamHeather has created over 20 apps, which have been downloaded more than 500,000 times. Currently a student at the University of York, Sam uses his spare time to make technologies that have huge social impact, including pingWHEN, Shy and Branon.
#T4GBethDeer is 16 years old, and last year she went completely blind. Beth received a BrightSpark scholarship through youth-led charity Young Pioneers, and is now studying to be a youth technology trainer to help others, delivering digital skills to teenagers across the south.
#T4GImOkay is a free app designed to support LGTBQ teenagers. Created by Josie Baldwin, Emily Bowes, Katie Griffiths and Alexandra Hill, all aged 14, the app lets users access resources, read real experiences, and understand definitions of LGTBQ terminology.
#T4GVitóriaMaurício is an anatomical artist and 3D modeller, and lead designer and modeller at Open Bionics. Vitória is responsible for designing a 3D printable hand that’s biomimetic, and can be 3D printed in just two days.
Visit the Finalists 2015 page to find out who made it to finals this year, and how you can vote for them to win the People’s Award. Don’t forget, any of our 27 finalists can win this Award, regardless of whether they win their category. You can tell us who you think should win by voting right here on the website, or by tweeting your chosen finalist’s unique hashtag. You can vote as many times as you like – and don’t forget to tell family, friends, colleagues and service users to vote, too. Voting closes 30 June 2015.
