Pupils asked to consider how to regenerate their local high streets

The appeal follows a successful pilot year, which brought a range of creative designs by students across Scotland as part of TechFest’s Blueprint Challenge: A Future High Street.

TechFest’s Blueprint Challenge is a collaboration with Bluewater, a specialist private equity firm focused on global energy. The initiative aims to inspire children to think about future energy and how this can be integral to a better environment and social agendas.

The charity has also written to the First Minister urging him to help raise awareness and drive positive engagement with Local Authority planners to support the regeneration of high streets and include young people.

The competition is asks S3-S6 pupils to take into consideration 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.

Sarah Chew, TechFest managing director, said: "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.

Schools have until September 11 to register a team via the TechFest website ahead of the project launch the following day.

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.

The competition is curriculum-aligned, and students and teachers will receive comprehensive support materials, including a series of online webinars with industry professionals and an opportunity for students to showcase their skills to the local community.

Sarah added: “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.”

“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.”