They were guests at the launch of TeenTech Cities: Milton Keynes Festival, hosted by regional law firm Howes Percival and Milton Keynes College.
Businesses and organisations from along the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford corridor heard from speakers including TeenTech founder and chief executive Maggie Philbin, the former presenter of BBC’s Tomorrow’s World, on how they can become involved.
TeenTech makes the world of science and technology come to life for young people by bringing companies and schools together, she told the launch event.
Ms Philbin also outlined the opportunities for businesses to support the festival through sponsorship, volunteering and becoming an ambassador for TeenTech.
“I’m really excited about bringing TeenTech to Milton Keynes later this year and working with so many brilliant businesses and organisations to help spread the word across the whole Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge corridor,” she said.
“This is such a unique and special region for science, technology and engineering, which gives us a tremendous opportunity to inspire the next generation.”
The festival takes place on July 11, supported by Milton Keynes College and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and will be open to children from participating schools from across the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford area.
Law firm Howes Percival, which has an office in Milton Keynes, is working with Milton Keynes College as the local delivery partner.
Commercial property partner Lisa Mantle said: “TeenTech is a great opportunity to reach out to the next generation of possible scientists and engineers or digital and technology leader and show them what STEM, particularly in this enlarged region, can offer them.
“The East-West Corridor is already a nationally recognised centre for innovation but we need to engage students with the future vision for the area and demonstrate how organisations can help young people develop their career here.
“These students are the generation for whom the Growth Corridor strategy is being devised and events like TeenTech: City of Tomorrow is a great opportunity for young people to show government their vision for their future.”
She called on local businesses large and small to support the festival.
“We are looking for ambassadors and sponsors of all shapes and sizes to step forward and help make this an event that students will never forget. We need to secure sponsorship to pay for the day but are not just looking for big sponsorship packages from large national companies, we need the SMEs to get involved too.”
For more information on TeenTech Cities: Milton Keynes Festival, visit www.teentech.com/teentech-events/regions/miltonkeynes
