Warwick Uni launches IGGY, a social network and online educational hub for gifted young people.   IGGY is offering free annual memberships to 13-18 year olds in Coventry and Warwickshire.

On Monday the University of Warwick launched its new IGGY website for gifted 13 to 18 year olds.

IGGY is a social network designed to help gifted young people realise their full potential.  It gives members access to great educational resources and encourages them to work with top academics, student mentors and other gifted young people around the world to exchange ideas, debate, learn and explore in a safe environment.

IGGY is a paid for service, but has committed to offering free memberships for gifted 13-18 year olds in the local authority of Coventry and Warwickshire.   To date there has been considerable interest in the project from teachers, parents and students alike from the UK and further afield, from Coventry to Singapore. Sam Tarling, Head of History at Southam College in Leamington Spa (an IGGY pilot school) said: “As a teacher you want students to think for themselves and widen their horizons.  IGGY is providing great resources and a website that encourages students to collaborate and explore the wider world.”

IGGY’s new website has been built by local Leamington Spa digital agency, fish in a bottle, an award winning digital agency with proven experience building engaging websites and communities.  Fish in a bottle director Rob Sloan said: “Developing the IGGY service has been a big challenge and opportunity.  Designing a community for such a wide ranging and gifted audience has given us huge scope and we’re delighted with the results.  IGGY is a world class platform for a global community.”

IGGY is part of the University of Warwick and their ongoing efforts to reach gifted students across the world.  In 2011 the University decided to make a major investment and create a global online community of gifted young people.  IGGY was created.

The launch of the new site on Monday 15th October saw IGGY go social with a strong focus on international collaboration.  Members can now create their own profiles, make friends and collaborate with other gifted students around the world, and continue to have access to great resources and top academics.

IGGY focuses on providing stretching content in Maths, English, Science and History, but also covers a wide range of other subjects and topical issues.  IGGY is also working with companies to create projects that will involve students in real life issues and dilemmas, such as its “Water for the Future” project with Severn Trent in which IGGY members are invited to make an animated film about water, why we need to start saving it and what we should do to use it more wisely.

IGGY’s Director Janey Walker was previously Head of Education at Channel 4.  She says IGGY has a major offer for teenagers: “13 to 18 year olds have a huge range of options online, but there’s nothing similar to IGGY.  IGGY has a unique offer: an opportunity for gifted young people to connect with other gifted students across the world, and to work with some of the world’s top academics and top companies on challenging projects and tasks.  IGGY offers something beyond school that can inspire and encourage students to learn and collaborate in new ways.”

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