Thinking Ahead

Take part in TEDI-London’s online engineering taster programme

Thinking Ahead is our online engineering taster programme, inviting you to learn more about the world of engineering and take part in a sustainability-themed design challenge.

You could choose to work on this challenge independently or you could form a group with your friends (max 5 people).

WHAT WILL I BE DOING AND WHEN?

Thinking Ahead takes place across two weeks Wednesday 19 June – 3 July 2024

Week one: Think like an engineer | 19 – 26 June

At your own pace you will work through interactive engineering theory content via our online learning platform. This will teach you all about the interdisciplinary aspects of engineering. This will be self-directed learning (approx. 4-6 hours) that you can do in your own time, around your existing schedule.

Week two: Create like an engineer | 26 June – 3 July

You will put your new theoretical knowledge into practice and respond to a engineering challenge brief set by us, which will see you design and present a prototype. There will also be workshop sessions with the TEDI-London team and industry masterclasses to teach you more about the world of engineering and help you with the challenge!

HOW WILL I LEARN?

Thinking Ahead is an online programme. All workshops, resources and collaboration will happen via a dedicated Microsoft Teams group which you will be added to before the programme starts.

HOW WILL I COMPLETE THE PROGRAMME?

At the end of the programme you will submit your project in the form of a presentation. All projects will be reviewed and shortlisted by the TEDI-London team, and shortlisted projects will be invited to present their project to our panel of judges who will decide the winners of Thinking Ahead.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?

Thinking Ahead participants who go on study at TEDI-London could be eligible for an award of up to £500!

HOW DO I TAKE PART?

You’ll need to be aged 16 or over and be available for approx 10 hours both weeks. You’ll also need to have access to the internet.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Thinking Ahead is a free programme, there is no cost!

APPLY TO THINKING AHEAD

Applications to June’s Thinking Ahead have now closed. We’ll be running the programme again later in the year – sign up to stay updated!

Reasons you'll love Thinking Ahead
💡 You’ll put your creativity and problem-solving to the test, develop a design with sustainability and user needs in mind, and learn how to pitch your idea – all key skills for future engineers
⚙️ Throughout the 2 weeks there will be a variety of online talks and sessions with the TEDI-London team and industry professionals to learn more about the world of engineering
👩‍💻 The programme is fully online for you to take part in outside of your regular studies
📄 It’s a great experience to top-up personal statements or CVs

“I enjoyed the programme as it pushed me to view challenges from the perspective of a particular user group. This perspective opened a whole new dimension of problem-solving for me. While I’ve always been drawn to mathematical puzzles in engineering, Thinking Ahead has shown me the vital importance of real-world application.”
Marne Thinking Ahead winner, Feb 2024
“Working on the physics behind my structure’s safety and functionality was very interesting, as I loved applying the theory to a real design and figuring out how to enhance it wherever possible.”
Nikan Hoorijani Thinking Ahead best engineered solution winner 2022

1) Follow the steps in this guide to access the TEDI-London Thinking Ahead teams group for the first time: How to access Microsoft Teams as a guest user
2) The second time you log in (making sure to use the same email), you will be asked to enable Multi-factor Authentication on your device. Follow the steps in this guide to get this set up: How to set up multi-factor authentication