What would you do if you had eight weeks, a real problem, and a room full of entrepreneurs waiting to hear your idea?

For a group of Key Stage 3 students, aged 11–12, at North Cambridge Academy (NCA), they were faced with these exact challenges on Friday 19 June.

The Young Pathfinders Programme is an eight-week innovation challenge delivered in partnership with Innovate Cambridge, and East West Rail (EWR) & MWJV (a joint venture of Mott MacDonald and WSP, delivery partners for EWR). Working in teams of four, students identified real problems faced by young people in Cambridge and developed genuine solutions. Last Friday, they pitched their innovations Dragons’ Den-style to a panel of Cambridge entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

Ideas ranged from a spelling-aid watch to school navigation heat maps and pothole fixes, therapy dogs for students, and more varied school menus.

Cambridge is at a pivotal moment – with UK Government backing of £800m investment across the Ox-Cam corridor, the establishment of a centrally led development corporation, and a local growth plan for the wider Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region. Partners across the region are working together to ensure growth benefits the whole community.

A Cambridge first, the Young Pathfinders Programme engaged local young talent, providing entrepreneurial skills and mindset to thrive in the innovation sector, and connecting them with expert mentors over two months. This kind of access is transformational, shaping how students engage with their studies and how they envision their futures – critical to achieving good growth. The programme sits alongside several other initiatives supporting young people in Cambridge, including Form the Future, AstraZeneca STEM programme, Included and Cambridge Science Centre.

The winning team, the CB4 Innovators, impressed the panel with their solution to Cambridge’s pothole problem, and will go on to present at the Innovate Cambridge Summit on 21 October.

Teachers reported strong progress in students’ confidence and creative thinking, and the buzz in the room on 19 June reflected both the excitement of the finale and that confidence growth in action.

Principal of North Cambridge Academy, Jane Driver, said: “The Young Pathfinders Project gave our Year 7 students a unique opportunity to develop skills they will need for the future. By identifying real-life problems and working alongside expert mentors, students learnt the value of creativity, collaboration and resilience, and it has been inspiring to see them grow in confidence. This project embodies our commitment to developing curious, ambitious and socially responsible young people, and we hope we can make it an annual event.”

The mentors and judging panel included some of Cambridge’s most recognisable innovation figures: Tabitha Goldstaub, Lichen AI; Jason Mellad, OtoImmune; Aga Iwasiewicz-Wabnig, The Maxwell Centre; Lucy Jung, LYEONS; and Derek Jones.

Clue Labs Founder & CEO Inge Hunter delivered a clear keynote message on the day: “Innovation is a great equaliser, it doesn’t care where you started, only where you’re headed.”

Jason Mellad, Co-Founder and CEO of OtoImmune, said: “Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses; it’s about giving young people the agency and creative problem-solving skills to shape their own futures and solve tomorrow’s biggest challenges.”

Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director of Innovate Cambridge, said: “Our ambition is to build the most inclusive innovation ecosystem in Europe and ensure that everyone benefits from innovation-led growth. When I visited NCA last year, I was struck by the depth of talent, ambition and optimism on display. Too often, the qualities that underpin entrepreneurship – curiosity, creativity, resilience and a willingness to challenge convention – are not fully recognised or nurtured in traditional educational settings. Working with our partners, we wanted to celebrate these qualities while giving young people access to entrepreneurs, mentors and role models from a wide range of backgrounds. Our goal was simple: to show that innovation and entrepreneurship are for everyone.”

Jessica Fishman, Senior Consultant at Mott MacDonald, said: “The challenges we face today demand diversity of thought, perspective and experience. By empowering young people to bring their authentic ideas while developing vital skills, the Young Pathfinders Programme goes beyond nurturing future talent – it helps shape a more resilient generation of problem-solvers.”

Laura Koch, Head of Policy, Legacy and Community at East West Rail, said: “We’re proud to be working with Innovate Cambridge and MWJV. Bringing young people together with mentors from Cambridge’s local innovation network has turned big, complicated ideas into something relatable and enjoyable.”

To find out more about the Young Pathfinders Programme, contact [email protected]