Scottish Charity, TechFest, is calling on Ayrshire pupils to submit their ideas for improving their local high street through a nationwide schools competition.  

TechFest promotes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to school pupils throughout Scotland.

The TechFest Blueprint Challenge is back this year to support all S3-S6 pupils as they play their role in saving the country’s high streets.  

The competition, aligned with the CREST Awards and grounded in STEM, asks students to come up with realistic ideas for regenerating failing high streets.

Secondary school students have a registration deadline of September 11.  

Sarah Chew, managing director of TechFest, said: “Scotland's high streets are dying, and regenerating them is a huge challenge.

"Young people and their fresh perspectives deserve to be heard by decision-makers and they might just have the answers and ideas that will help transform high streets throughout the country.”

TechFest’s Blueprint Challenge is a collaboration with Bluewater, a specialist private equity firm focused on global energy.

The initiative has been developed through Bluewater’s charitable division to inspire children to think about future energy and how this can be integral to a better environment and social agendas.

TechFest is urging teachers and education staff across North, East and South Ayrshire to register their teams via the TechFest website.

The competition is open to all S3-S6 students who want to share their ideas on how to create a high street that allows society to thrive while celebrating the natural world at the same time.

Pupils are asked to take into consideration "modern problems’’ surrounding architecture, economic stability, power generation and consumption, and how they can bring energy, technology and nature together to create a high street that meets Net Zero targets and encourages nature and community to grow.

The goal is a modern and progressive high street that is not simply about retail.

Sarah Chew, managing director of TechFest, said: “In the past decade there have been continued discussions, debates and reports on how to transform our high streets and make them fit for the future but despite various thought-provoking think tanks and reports, sadly we have seen little to no action.  

"The Scottish high street is in crisis, and we need urgent action to save them, that is why the TechFest Blueprint Challenge is a huge opportunity to champion the youth voice and help transform how we use our high streets.  

“Young people have a different perspective, and we see them delivering innovative ideas that are creative, thoughtful, full of insight and often surprising.  

"For the school pupils taking part in is not only a way to make your voice heard, but also gives you valuable and lifelong career skills.”

Sarah added: “We need the First Minister's help to place the transformation of our high streets at the forefront of the national and local agenda.

“Young people deserve to be heard and we need the First Minister to bring our high streets further up the agenda and help us develop more positive and meaningful engagement with local authorities across Scotland.”  

Schools have until September 11 to register a team ahead of the project launch on September 12.  

Teams will work together to create a project summary by the end of November, followed by a presentation day in December, where they will display their projects to a panel of experts, with a further opportunity to display their work as part of TechFest’s Science Festival in May 2024.  

To sign up and for more information, click here.