A local high school has been a base for an innovative new course to help teach young people how to shape local services.

The Urban Hack course is part of Ealing Council’s wider vision of involving residents more in the design, and running, of community projects.

Based at Greenford High School, the 8-week course started in October and is due to conclude this month (December). It is being led by DK&A, a strategic design consultancy.

The 30 sixth form students who have taken part have studied 4 modules and they will be presenting what they have learned to senior staff at the council once the course ends.

This includes team projects where they may have looked at various challenges affecting their community, such as climate change, housing, and the cost of living crisis.

As well as developing their skills and confidence, the course also aims to give the students options for exploring future careers in the civil service, social policymaking, and service design.

Ricks Llewellyn-Davies, from the council, who led on organising the course, said: “We’re all users of public services, but public services aren’t always designed with users in mind. So, this project is about passing on this skill set to the next generation. We will have a room of Ealing residents going forth into the world with a new heightened sense, perhaps, of civic engagement and problem solving.”

One of the sixth form students said: “I feel like I have developed my skills and I have learned more about service design. It’s maybe something I can consider in the future.”

However, some of the benefits have proved to be immediate, and not just for the future.

“The most challenging thing for me was we had to go outside and talk to the public,” said another of the students. “Public speaking is not really my thing. But this course really did help me get over that fear.”