IGGY is a social network designed to help gifted young people between the ages of 13-18 realise their full potential. It gives members access to great educational resources and encourages them to work with top academics and other gifted young people around the world.

Throughout the first week of July, Warwick’s IGGY hosted ten 13-18 year olds as part of a residential visit for the IGGY Junior Commission. The Junior Commission is a yearlong research project in which ten IGGY Members from across the world work together collaboratively online and in person to tackle key issues. This year the project focuses on Education and the Internet. The ten IGGY Members were selected in Spring 2013 following a gruelling application process involving essay writing and Skype interviews.

They created a video introducing their mission to re-imagine the world of Education and the Internet.

This year’s commissioners hail from seven different countries: Lindsey from Canada; Aateka and Danish from Pakistan; Gabriel and Sathyam from the UK; Beatrix from Singapore; Anne-Eléanore from France; Jurgen from the Netherlands; Rachael from Australia, and Kamogelo from South Africa.

On Sunday 30 June our Junior Commissioners made their way by plane, train or automobile (and sometimes all three!) to the University of Warwick campus for an intense week of networking, skill-building, and researching. They also had some fun, but don’t tell their parents.

Their week included:

• creating polls and podcasts for the IGGY Community as part of research into internet provision in schools;
• learning about Media in Education with Ben Betts;
• an energy trail at the University of Warwick;
• sessions developing skills in animation, interviewing, leadership, marketing and design;
• a visit to the House of Lords with Junior Commission Advisor Lord Jim Knight,
• and presenting at IGGY’s international conference Global & Gifted 13.

You can read all about their experiences over at the Junior Commission Official Blog, take a look at the social media highlights via our Storify, and follow their progress on Twitter @jnrcommission.

In the words of Beatrix:

“Joining the Junior Commission must have been one of the best decisions of my life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten the exposure of an international environment, nor obtained valuable skills from the various workshops. I wouldn’t have stepped out of my comfort zone, challenged myself, grown as a person. Wouldn’t have debated, written, learnt so much.”

Our Junior Commissioners were a pleasure to host. We wish them the best of luck throughout the coming year – and we’ll see them in the USA this October for their second residential visit!

View the Junior Commission pinterest board.