Young ‘Super Achievers’ wanted for new awards being launched in Scotland

Young people aged from 5 to 17 who excel in what they do – regardless of any diversity – are to be celebrated in a new awards programme to be launched at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

The Inspire Awards 2023 are a new initiative from the British Youth International College (BYITC), which was founded in 2015 by Glasgow-based academic and educator Dr Rashmi Mantri to help children learn maths.

Inspired by the success of the college, which now runs 10 global franchises, Dr Mantri hopes the new BYITC Inspire Awards will recognise ‘Super Achievers’ young people from all backgrounds who have excelled in fields including the environment, sports, media, art and creativity, science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM).

The awards will take place at the Scottish Parliament between 5.30pm to 7.30pm on Tuesday 6 June 2023 and will be overseen by a high-profile judging panel which includes Professor Eleanor Shaw OBE, Associate Principal of the University of Strathclyde, and entrepreneur Dr Poonam Gupta OBE, Chief Executive of PG Paper, an international paper company based in Scotland.

Dr Mantri said: “I’ve seen first hand how achievement in learning and skills can fill young people with confidence and show them how amazing they really are. Through BYITC, we’ve helped thousands of students excel in maths, English, programming and cyber security. Now with the Inspire Awards, we want to celebrate diversity and inclusion and recognise young people from all backgrounds who are making their futures brighter by learning and excelling in whatever they choose to do.”

There are eight categories in the BYITC Inspire Awards 2023 and 28 prizes. These are:

ENVIRONMENT

• Global Warming Crusader

Share your project/work with regards to global warming and pollution

• Best out of waste

Share your projects on creating useful things out of waste

• Energy Conservation

Kids with exemplary achievement in the field of environmental awareness, conservation and preservation

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS (STEM)

• Best Innovator

Innovation in any field

• Rubics Hero

Kids with exceptional Rubics-solving and speed-cubing skills

• Best Robotics

Achievements in best robotic projects and designs

• Super Scientist

Bring forward your scientific innovations

LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

• Best Bookworm

Share the name of the best book that you have read and what are the learnings from it

• Best Orator

Public speakers with exceptional oratory skills

• Bring out the poet in you

Share your best creation in short poems

• Young Authors

Share your best creations (Stories)

SPORTS

• Chess Maestro

Share your achievements in Chess

• Martial Arts Champ

Share your achievements in Karate, Judo, Taekwondo and Boxing

• Badminton Champ

Share your achievements in Badminton

• Cricket Champ

Share your achievements in Cricket

CULTURAL & SOCIAL

• Best Foot Forward- Dance

Dance your way to the awards (Any style)

• Singing Sensation

Sing your way to our hearts (Any style)

• Best Youth Icon

Kids who are icons in their own fields and are inspiring kids around them (Any field)

• Covid Hero

Share with us the good work you have done during COVID and Lockdown

• Emerging Leader

Display your team leading skills

MEDIA

• Young YouTuber/Young Influencer

Share your channel’s name and link and let us know about your fan following

• Best Podcast

Share your 1-minute podcast with us (Any Topic)

• Make a Minute Video

Share Your 1-minute video (Edited, any topic)

ART AND CREATIVITY

• Best Creative Designer

Share your best creative specimen in Painting, Sketching, Doodling and Craft

• Calligraphy

Share your best specimen in Calligraphy

• Young Master Chef

Whip up a storm. Share a video of your best unique recipe

ACADEMICS

• Best Performer

Star performer in any field

• Whiz Kid

Share your problem-solving and decision-making skills

The other award judges are Professor Bill Buchanan OBE, Professor of Applied Cryptography at Edinburgh Napier University; Rohini Sharma Joshi OBE, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant; Derek Timpany, Education Management Consultant; Jai Aenugu, Founder of Aberdeen-based cyber security consultancy TechForce, and Harminder Berman, a former Arts Development Officer with culture and sports charity, Glasgow Life.

Dr Mantri set up BYITC after using an abacus to teach her son basic arithmetic. The college now runs global franchises, including Dubai and Sri Lanka, and recently launched its first UK franchise in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Further UK franchises are anticipated in the coming months.

To find out more about the awards and to enter, visit the BYITC Inspire Awards 2023 page.