Digital Innovators Programme

The Digital Innovator Programme has run for seven years and helped hundreds of post-14 students to develop key skills for their future education and careers, from creative problem solving, teamwork and communication to high level tech and entrepreneurial skills. 

The 2025 programme powered by 1st Central offers three separate activities, all centred around AI and designed to work well together. These activities provide students with various opportunities outside their regular studies to learn new skills and deepen their understanding of AI.

We are now on the threshold of the AI Revolution (cf. Fourth Industrial Revolution). We need to educate society to use the new generation of generative AI tools. It is especially important for students to learn these skills to prosper. Now a new generation of essential AI productivity tools for students and professionals (e.g. Lawyers, Administrators, Programmers) is emerging. Textbooks will come with a Chatbot tutor. Aspiring programmers are already using generative AI (plus no-code and low-code tools) to prototype programs. However, they will benefit from basic programming skills to check and customise their programs. 

AI Explorer: Virtual Learning Course with UCL

The AI Explorer course consists of interactive self-paced learning content and six 1-hour live virtual lectures with leading tutors from University College London to offer students the opportunity to take a deep dive into the topic of Artificial Intelligence. 

The aim of the lectures will be to introduce the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. An understanding of programming, data science and machine learning would be beneficial, but not essential as this program could represent the start of a young person’s learning in this area. An appreciation of AI’s strengths and weaknesses will be developed through the sessions. This basic understanding not only will future proof their careers, but also opens the door to creating amazing start-ups.

Who is the course suitable for?

Obviously important for STEM students, but also for Arts & Humanities graduates seeking professional careers.

We offered a limited set of fully funded placements for this course as part of this years Digital Innovators Programme powered by 1st Central. To sign-up to take part please fill in the online form below. 

When is it? 

The course will run between January and March 2025. The full schedule of topics and dates here: 

Student Summit

The Digital Innovators Student Summit will take place on Wednesday 12th March 2025 at the Digital Greenhouse. This summit is open to all students looking to further their understanding of AI and how it is changing the future of work. We will hear from a select line-up of speakers including Dr Daniel Brown, University College London lecturer.

Save the date - more details coming soon! 

AI Hackathon Event

Get ready to dive headfirst into the world of innovation! Whether you want to do coding at university, launch a digital career, or you’re just curious about new tech, our AI hackathon is for you.

Run by the Digital Greenhouse with leading experts from University College London (UCL), this event promises to be a day of creativity, collaboration, and competition. You’ll participate in a dynamic hackathon focused on leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve a community problem set at the beginning of the day.  Throughout the day, you'll have the chance to brainstorm, design, and develop an AI application. Receive mentorship from industry experts from 1st Central, work alongside like-minded peers, and unleash your potential to create positive change. The event will culminate in a presentation session where you’ll showcase your ideas, with exciting prizes up for grabs.

Date: Summer Term

Location: TBC

Timings: Whole Day

Food will be provided

Team size: 4-5 people per team
Team assignment available on the day if needed.
Please sign up individually.

Prizes for the best projects