25 April 2025
Free KS3 computing courses (Apps for Good) - CAS Secondary event
If you were unable to join us for the “CAS Secondary – Apps for Good” online community meeting, don't worry! You can catch up on all the content and a recording of the session below.
Empowering Purposeful Tech Innovators: Apps for Good
Key Takeaways
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Apps for Good offers three free, curriculum-mapped courses designed to develop both digital and essential skills in students.
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Each course theme—climate action, social change, and AI ethics—engages students in real-world problem solving through app design.
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Teachers can access full support materials, including editable resources, on-demand training, and coding tutorials using App Lab.
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UK-based schools benefit from unique industry engagement opportunities, including virtual volunteer sessions and an annual showcase.
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Evaluation and impact reporting helps schools reflect on outcomes while supporting the charity to keep resources freely available.
Engaging Young People in Computing Through Purposeful Projects
The April 2025 CAS Secondary Community meeting showcased the Apps for Good programme, a charity initiative with a mission to equip young people to change their world through technology. Kathy Sheppard-Barnes and Lou Jones from the Apps for Good team led a comprehensive tour of their resources, courses, and support structure aimed at empowering teachers and students alike.
The charity offers three themed, free-to-access courses aligned with UK computing curricula:
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Innovate for Climate Change
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App for Social Action
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AI for Good
Each course is designed to be delivered in 7–8 one-hour sessions and is packed with computing, digital literacy, and essential skill-building content. Importantly, the courses are structured to be accessible to non-specialists, making them highly adaptable for use in curriculum time, enrichment activities, or extracurricular clubs.
A highlight of the session was the demonstration of App Lab, a recommended tool for app prototyping that students use in sessions five and six. With its simple drag-and-drop interface and built-in code editor, App Lab allows students to develop event-driven app prototypes—without needing extensive prior programming experience.
The session also emphasised how students benefit from industry engagement opportunities. UK-based teachers can request free virtual visits from tech professionals who provide feedback on student ideas, offer insight into design processes, and share their career journeys. This real-world connection culminates in an annual showcase, where student teams pitch their app ideas to industry judges for feedback and prizes.
Throughout the course, students build skills in ideation, user experience, and ethical problem-solving, guided by scaffolded Google Slide-based e-workbooks. The learning design supports inclusive and independent learning, with universal design principles baked in.
To measure impact, Apps for Good collects feedback via built-in surveys. Schools that contribute data receive personalised evaluation reports, providing useful insights into student skill development and engagement—ideal for internal reporting and reflection.
Next Steps for Teachers
Apps for Good offers more than a set of lesson plans—it’s a springboard for purposeful project work. As you explore whether this programme could enrich your own teaching, here are some questions to consider:
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How can I use real-world themes to make computing more meaningful for my students?
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Could I integrate one of the course themes into a cross-curricular project or whole-school initiative?
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What skills—digital, collaborative, or ethical—do my students need most right now?
Example exercises you might try:
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Run the “Impossible Ideas” ideation activity with your students, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking before refining realistic app concepts.
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Use App Lab to guide students through creating an interactive app screen with sound or image-based navigation.
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Invite students to explore existing “tech for good” apps and reflect on what problems they solve and how.
Further Resources