Triple Double

Triple Double are a design studio committed to engaging young people in the design process. They help a wide variety of organisations including non-governmental bodies, brands, communities, schools, and youth groups, collectively reach the common goal of transforming young people’s lives for the future. As part of their Design & Technology Blueprint 1000 membership we collectively identified their desire to meet Design and Technology teachers from around the country to share experiences about inspiring young people and to introduce Intergalactic Athletes, a learning resource that the teachers could use in their own schools, free of charge.

Accessing our contacts of over 30,000 members of the Design and Technology Association we identified several teachers who were interested in hearing more about Triple Double as part of a virtual Teachers in Residence experience. The group included a wide variety of teachers some having over 20 years of experience and some in their first year of teaching. The Teachers in Residence experience helps teachers to answer their students’ questions about what it is like to work in a particular sector, such as a design studio. It also provides reassurance that they are teaching a curriculum that is appreciated by business and typically provides ideas and resources that can be added to their curriculum. The virtual experience allows more teachers to join in without concerns about getting time off school or attending in holidays.

The session was split into three sections. The first section gave an overview of the studio, Triple Double, and some of the projects they have worked on. The second section was about Paul Jenkins’ own career journey that led to him starting Triple Double and the third section was a case study about the Intergalactic Athletes initiative. It included a demonstration of what Intergalactic Athletes is and a walk through of how it was developed. Feedback after the session indicated that the teachers found the whole session very useful with particular interest in Intergalactic Athletes.

100% of the teachers who completed a survey after the event stated that they wanted to use Intergalactic Athletes as part of their teaching in the future which achieved the original objectives of the session. One teacher that attended said “I loved the idea of having something actionable to take away from the session. Something to actually do with students within the classroom that has come directly from industry. Especially sessions that are so well resourced.”

The success of the session also left the teachers hungry for more sessions like this with one saying, “Really enjoyed it and would definitely consider another one.”

The session also has great value for the participating company. Paul Jenkins added “Any time myself or the TD team has the opportunity to meet, speak or collaborate with teachers and educators directly, it’s nothing short of a privilege. Being able to continuously learn about classroom challenges they are facing, means we can always keep evolving how we approach working with young people in education settings and beyond.

The virtual TiR experience gave me the ability to be in multiple schools at once which is invaluable and it also creates a space for teachers to meet other, sharing ideas amongst themselves – facilitated by myself with an industry perspective.

Ultimately, at Triple Double our job is deliver impact for young people, providing them with creative education experiences that give them the opportunity to develop life and employability skills, CV-worthy projects and so much more – only by working together as one consistent team with teachers like those that I met through this, can we support young people from all the angles that are truly needed.”

Watch the full video here

If you are a teacher who would like to get involved with Intergalactic athletes please contact amelia.wright@data.org.uk.

If you are a teacher who would like to participate in a future Teachers In Residence experience please contact neesha@data.org.uk.

If you are a business leader who would like to hear more about Blueprint 1000 and the Teachers in Residence initiative please contact blueprint1000@data.org.uk.