Local schoolchildren aspiring for STEM careers thanks to Foundation and Schneider Electric sustainability programme

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation hosted 120 primary schoolchildren at F1 DRIVE London yesterday as the first staging of its new sustainability programme, in collaboration with Club partner Schneider Electric, reached an exciting conclusion.

Staff from the Foundation and Schneider Electric, supported by CreativeHUT, have delivered sessions in four local schools recently, introducing pupils to the world of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and how these skills are critical in the national and global transition towards green energy.

Yesterday, the pupils of Brook House, Devonshire Hill, Lancasterian and Risley Avenue, all within walking distance of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, built cars and football goals of the future, raced robots and enjoyed karting.

Mariana, nine, from Risley Avenue, said: “The STEM activities helped us work on our creativity and resilience, and my favourite part of the day was karting!”

The pupils were joined for some of the activities by Academy players Samal Bangura, Reiss Elliott-Parris and Malachi Hardy.

Reiss said: “It’s been really good seeing the kids together, outside of the classroom. It’s important for kids at such a young age and I don’t think we often had opportunities like this. Providing these opportunities is something the Club does very well through the Foundation.”

Kemoy Thomas, Risley Avenue teacher, said: “This has been amazing to introduce the kids to STEM as we don’t always get to do a lot of the creative side in school. All we heard after the school visit was ‘When are they coming back?’ and ‘Can we do it again?’ Today’s the same. They’ve been focused, engaged, excited, and they won’t forget this learning experience as long as they live.”

F1 DRIVE London is driving diversity in motorsport by providing apprenticeship and career opportunities for local young people, with a focus on women and underrepresented groups, and hosted a driving masterclass with racing champion Abbi Pulling at the end of last year.

Schneider Electric is a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation. Its partnership with the Club supports our journey to net-zero by powering 100% renewable energy of all electrical equipment at the Stadium.

Kelly Becker, President of Schneider Electric UK & Ireland, Belgium and Netherlands, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and seeing how children have been inspired through our STEM activities. We were keen to foster teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking using real life scenarios and I think our expertise coupled with that of the Foundation has achieved that.

“Initiatives such as these are vital to equipping the next generation with the skills needed to develop scalable, equitable and efficient energy solutions for a sustainable future, and we’re excited to continue working with the Foundation moving forwards.”

We are recognised as the Premier League’s greenest club, having consistently topped the Sport Positive EPL league table.

Andrew Wands, Foundation education manager, said: “Our goal in launching this programme was to create a stimulating environment in which local students could explore STEM subjects in hands-on and engaging ways, as part of our wider work helping young people prepare for their futures.

“Schneider Electric and CreativeHUT have been brilliant in helping us to do this, in what has been a great example of bringing together partners and the facilities on offer at the Stadium to benefit the next generation and help further our vital work in sustainability.”