At the historic Royal Naval Dockyard 120 local students aged 11–14 from local secondary schools stepped into the thrilling world of high-performance sport and science this week as STEM Crew Live arrived in Portsmouth.

Delivered by the 1851 Trust and supported by Howden, a global insurance intermediary group, , this two-day interactive event harnessed the power of sport to ignite ambition, build confidence, and break down barriers to STEM education and broaden horizons to a range of future careers.

Transforming Perceptions through Sport-Inspired Learning
Founded by Olympic legend and Emirates GBR SailGP Team CEO Sir Ben Ainslie, the 1851 Trust uses sport inspired learning to help young people see themselves in the world of science, innovation, and sustainability. STEM Crew Live goes beyond the textbook, giving students access to athletes, and hands-on activities that mirror real-world challenges, it is designed to make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects real, relatable, and inspiring unlocking potential and building confidence in the young people we meet.

At STEM Crew Live Portsmouth young people explored the big question of the day, “How do we mitigate against risk”.  Through four hands on sessions across the two days, from boat and sail design where students competed for the fastest design of the day, to wind tunnel experiments and a careers speed networking session with professionals across sailing, maritime and insurance, students explored how risk is managed both in high performance sport and the insurance world. With support from a team of Howden professionals alongside SailGP athletes like Hannah Mills and Ben Cornish students discovered the parallels between sport, business, and science.

The young people were given an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the British team’s SailGP tech base, seeing the Emirates GBR F50 boat up close, meeting team members and finding out how they take their team off grid at all events through a solar and wind turbine installation created by Low Carbon.

“There’s a perception around some jobs and industries that you need certain qualifications or specific skillsets. What we hope young people take away from events like these is the breadth of career paths and opportunities in industries like insurance. There’s something for everyone – if you’ve got the right passion and attitude, there are no limits to what you can achieve.

“Being able to bring this to life through the high-quality immersive experience the 1851 Trust and Emirates GBR created for the young people today was really special. The wide-eyed smiles and unwavering engagement throughout the day told me that this will stick in their minds for a very long time.” Hayley Langston, Group Head of Social Impact, Howden

“All young people deserve access to powerful, future-shaping experiences, especially those from communities that are historically underserved or underrepresented.  By connecting young people with real-life role models we spark ambition, build confidence, and show them that they belong in these spaces,” Jo Grindley CEO 1851 Trust.

Portsmouth has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the South of England. STEM Crew Live directly targets schools with high pupil premium and free school meal rates to ensure that those who stand to gain the most have access to this transformative experience.  With over 40% of UK secondary schools already using the 1851 Trust’s free digital STEM Crew resources, this STEM Crew Live is part of a national mission to close opportunity gaps, build essential life skills, and inspire futures in science, green skills, and maritime innovation.

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