Apps for Good is working to teach the principles of problem solving and app development to schoolchildren in London and the UK – all from the heart of Tech City.

One of the most interesting – and important – initiatives coming out of Tech City is Apps for Good, a project by education and technology charity CDI Europe. Based out of The Trampery, Apps for Good works with 30 schools around the country to train schoolchildren in the techniques need to design, build and market apps for mobile.

Apps for Good is the brainchild of non-profit organisation CDI Europe (part of the CDI global network), in partnership with Dell YouthConnect and supported by people and businesses in the tech and creative world including Orange, Talk Talk and Ogilvy.

During April-June 2010, CDI Europe successfully ran the first pilot course with 9 unemployed young people aged 16-25 at High Trees Development Trust in South London. In September 2010, an Apps for Good programme for secondary schools launched at the Central Foundation Girls School in Tower Hamlets, East London – less than one year on and they’ve multiplied that figure by 30 with another 90 schools in the pipeline, 5 of which are in the Tech City area itself.

What makes Apps for Good special is its broad focus. Rather than focusing on ‘just’ teaching coding skills, the training encompasses all aspects of the creative process from problem identification to delivery. During the Apps for Good course, students go through a kind of entrepreneurial process whereby they identify what is wrong with their world before designing a way of fixing it with a mobile app, giving young people a foundation in entrepreneurship, community involvement, problem-solving and team work, as well as design and some technical skills.

We caught up with CEO Iris Lapinski to talk through her thoughts on Tech City and to find out a little more about Apps for Good:

Tech City: What do you think are the key benefits to being located in Tech City?

Iris Lapinski: Firstly, the location – we’re incredibly central here, and transport links are good enough that we can get anywhere we need to be in London with a minimum of fuss. Then there’s the credibility it gives us – being surrounded by so many other businesses operating in the same space, and being at the heart of a real ecosystem of the tech and entrepreneurship industry gives us real kudos. Finally I think the diversity of the area is a key factor – it’s not just about coding. We’re surrounded by talented creatives, marketers, designers and much more – which really helps us when pulling together the broad training programmes which we offer.

TC: What have been your biggest successes in your first year?

IL: We’ve had so many great moments it’s hard to pick individual moments… It’s been genuinely inspiring seeing the skills that these schoolchildren possess, and the passion they bring to the creative process – and to help show them some of the opportunities that are available to them, both in programming and the broader tech industries. From research we’ve done after our training sessions we’ve seen 10-15% of girls saying they would like to be programmers; but a massive 60% saying that they would be interested in a career in the broad technology industry, which is fantastic.

TC: What sort of apps emerge from the sessions?

IL: The variety is incredible. We had one designed by students to help kids who are getting stopped and searched by police, which we’re currently in talks with the Metropolitan Police about trialling in London boroughs; another called Buzzer Buddies designed to help teenagers get out of bed – and to remind them why they need to – has been pitched by one of its creators, aged 14, to a group of over 1,000 potential backers. To see such young entrepreneurial and creative talent in action is awe-inspiring.

If you’d like to find out more about Apps for Good, visit their website – and you can read about more of the apps their students have developed here.