MP Julian Huppert was on hand to meet the youngsters from St Albans Primary School in Lensfield Road and congratulated them on winning the regional heat of the competition. Unfortunately, the youngsters failed to take home the top prize.
Make IT Happy was created by the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee, of which Julian is vice-chair, and is run by e-skills UK to encourage the local community to get online and learn new internet skills.
The Cambridge youngsters, aged between nine and 11, aimed to prove that technology can be used in a healthy way.
They challenged their teachers to find ways that IT cause be used to promote health in class and projects included using mobile devices to analyse dance movements and create games to help younger children make food choices.
Competition judge Susannah Williams from British Airways said: “St Albans covered a number of aspects of being healthy from exercise to internet safety. The range of technology and their innovative use of it was very impressive.
“I particularly liked the use of educational computer games, ipods to measure heart beats and the Wii as a warm up technique in PE.”
Julian said: “My congratulations go to the St Albans Primary School team which has proved that youngsters can enjoy IT based activities while at the same time promoting exercise and good health.
“I am very impressed at the innovative ways these young people have found to demonstrate that technology has many positive benefits and, with some thought can be used to have fun while keeping fit. It was great to see them at the final.”
Image: Julian congratulates Dominic Fiaclo, Natalia Ruggiero, Dexter D’Apollonio and Giulia Gianfelici.
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Youngsters show how technology is keeping them fit
22 June 2012
Cambridge youngsters have found a winning way to combine IT skills with healthy activities. Their ideas gained them a place in the final of the Make IT Happy technology competition and a visit to the House of Commons.