RSA Spark is the beginning of a new chapter transforming 100 years of the Student Design Awards, 10 years of the Pupil Design Awards, and 15 years of the Catalyst Awards, for greater impact.

RSA Spark offers learners and entrepreneurs inspiring real-world experiences to create, connect, grow and make a difference.

These experiences are designed to help everyone, everywhere, find their creativity, igniting ideas into action for a positive impact on the world. Participants will grow life skills and develop lifelong connections through real-world missions that matter.

Together, let’s focus our energy on doing better for people, places and the planet, changing tomorrow for everyone.

RSA Spark will be open for registrations starting in January 2025.

To ensure you don't miss out on becoming part of the RSA Spark programme in January, please sign up for our newsletter below.

Timeline

September 2024

• RSA Spark is in private testing
• Mission briefs are available to explore while you wait for launch, contact us to request these

January 2025

• RSA Spark is open for users to explore, sign up and access early-bird workshops and learning journeys

April 2025

• RSA Spark platform fully live: with new content, missions and learning modules available

RSA Spark briefs: early access

Can’t wait until January to get started? If you are an educator and have previously participated in our Student or Pupil Design Awards and you're looking for this year’s briefs, don't worry. While we set up RSA Spark, we have shaped some exciting briefs with partners that are available right now for you and your students to work on.

We will be in touch with information about how you can access this year’s mission briefs if your school, college or university has previously entered the Student or Pupil Design Awards.

Alternatively, you can get in touch to request the RSA Spark mission briefs by emailing: rsaspark@rsa.org.uk.

Ignite your ideas with RSA Spark

RSA Spark is designed to help everyone, everywhere, find their creativity, igniting ideas into action for a positive impact on the world. Participants in the programme will grow life skills and develop lifelong connections through real-world missions that matter. We want to focus our energy on doing more good for people, places and the planet, changing tomorrow for everyone.

Whether you’re a learner, educator, entrepreneur or supporter of RSA Spark, join us and be part of this exciting journey.

Learn: for learners

Explore your creative side by working on your own or in teams to develop new skills that will help you make a positive impact on the world.

• Apply your creativity to real-world missions set by industry experts and earn digital badges and certificates that recognise your achievements and skills.
• Take part in a flexible learning journey that helps you find your purpose and use your talent to affect change.
• Connect with inspirational people from across the RSA's global network, working on your own or in a team.

We welcome pupils from across the globe aged 11-18-year-olds, and those 18+ currently in or out of education. The only requirement is a passion for helping create a better tomorrow. Sign up using the form below and learn how to apply your skills and ideas to make a difference.

Teach: for educators

Transform the way you teach and inspire with a refreshing new way to unleash learners’ creativity.

• RSA Spark guides learners through real-world missions set by industry partners.
• Your students can access on-demand life-skills learning journeys that integrate into and enhance any curriculum or subject
• We welcome any partners anywhere in the world delivering learning programmes within a school, college, university, adult learning or enterprise support setting. We are especially looking to support educators working with students of all ages 11 and above, in or outside of formal learning, and especially those who are most disadvantaged.

Sign up today to unlock your learners’ creative potential.

Kickstart: for entrepreneurs

Turn your impact idea into reality through peer-based entrepreneurship creating change.

• Bring your ambitious idea to one of the RSA Spark Missions
• Participate in a five-month learning journey with like-minded entrepreneurs to grow creative life skills
• Connect with peers, experts and industry partners and apply for £2,000 seed grants

We will be inviting impact entrepreneurs aged 18+, with 100% of places offered to those who face the most barriers to setting up their own business. If you want to learn more about how you can qualify for an invite, sign up for our newsletter.

Partner: for purpose-led organisations

Amplify your organisation's impact by partnering with us for social and environmental change.

• Shape a bespoke mission brief based on your R&D, ESG and EDI objectives
• Source creative ideas from a diverse community of learners and entrepreneurs responding to your mission brief

We welcome collaboration with purpose-led organisations working in any sector, industry or country. Contact us now by emailing partnerships@rsa.org.uk and support creative change.