30th October 2024 Inspire US students head to Washington DC
Today, 17 sixth-form students who won The Talent Foundry’s social action competition are flying to Washington DC for an exciting educational experience aligned with the US Presidential elections.
Over eight days, students from four UK schools will join campaigners in Washington and Pennsylvania, observing first-hand what it takes to win an election.
Last year, the teams worked on social action projects in their communities for three months, later presenting their campaigns at a Finalist Forum in London. Their prize: an all-expenses-paid week at ‘Campaign College’ for students from Lampton School, Preston Manor, Oasis Academy Hadley (London), and Weatherhead High (Liverpool).
Their trip includes visits to The White House and Capitol, alongside breakfast briefings, masterclasses with campaign teams, and practical lobbying and advocacy experiences.
The road to Washington
The Inspire US competition engaged over 70 student teams across the UK. Throughout, students attended masterclasses, built social media presences, conducted focus groups, engaged with MPs and councillors, secured press coverage, and delivered petitions.
Campaign topics among the 10 finalist teams varied widely, from child poverty and climate change to road safety and period poverty.
Winning teams
The five winning teams are:
Breathe Easy: An anti-vaping campaign to educate young people and help schools build anti-vaping strategies. The campaign reached over 1,000 students, prompting local safeguarding leaders to address the issue.
Through the programme, we’ve gained confidence engaging with large audiences and learned to use social media to further our cause.
Lampton School, London | Bhawanveer, Diyan, Reuel, Yusuf
Pothole Action: A campaign highlighting the dangers of potholes on the Wirral, arguing the issue is nationally neglected and costs the economy billions. The team called for government action to address the pothole crisis.
We enjoyed engaging with our community, hearing their views, and meeting our local MP to advocate for change.
Weatherhead High School, Liverpool | Eleanor, Karina, Phoebe
TalkAboutPeriods: This campaign pushed for government-backed free period products in schools and fought the stigma around periods, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis.
The media aspect was amazing; after our social media masterclass, our campaign came to life. One of our videos even hit 2,000 views!
Preston Manor Sixth Form, London | Asma, Kavya, Manel, Raymond
SecureTeenZones: Focused on improving young lives through youth centres, food banks, and schools, creating secure spaces and resources for youth development.
This project opened our eyes to the challenges facing young people. Our work brought joy, tears, and immense satisfaction.
Oasis Academy Hadley, London | Adea, Alisa, Farah, Ruya
Close The Divide: This student-led campaign advocated for unconscious bias training in healthcare to improve outcomes, particularly in A&E, and increase trust in the NHS.
Having faced a loss due to racial inequality, we’re driven to push for change so others won’t endure preventable losses.
Preston Manor Sixth Form, London | Hannah, Keisha
The students will be sharing their experience on The Talent Foundry’s social media channels over the coming week. Follow our Instagram for updates.
Alumni support
Joining them are three 2020 competition winners, recent graduates whose original trip was cancelled due to COVID. Now alumni, Kate, Samanta, and Ellie from LaSWAP sixth-form will support this year’s students. Their campaign focused on raising the age of criminal responsibility.
Jenni Anderson, CEO at The Talent Foundry, said:
"Over 70 teams took part this year, and now the finalists will put their skills to use in an international campaign experience. We’re inspired by their passion and wish them luck as they dive into the election atmosphere."
Amy Leonard MBE, The Talent Foundry Founder and Trustee, added:
"This generation is unafraid to confront the toughest challenges. Social action is alive and well and I look forward to seeing how their new skills are put into practice in Washington."
This programme is generously funded by Denford Associates and The Talent Foundry donors.