The ‘Age of Wonder,’ a new and exciting research initiative based in Bradford, has successfully completed its inaugural year of data collection. Collaborating with 15 secondary schools in Bradford, the project surveyed over 5,000 young individuals throughout the city.
As the next phase begins, the spotlight turns to the participants. On November 22, the BiB: Age of Wonder Data Dashboard will be unveiled, offering participating secondary schools fresh insights into the mental health of their student body.
The availability of this data empowers Bradford schools to discern the specific needs of their students and respond accordingly. Participating institutions will gain insights into their standing compared to other schools in Bradford and nationwide. This comprehensive assessment covers clinical markers and determinants of mental health and well-being.
Age of Wonder introduces a cutting-edge era of collaboration between schools and scientists, placing data-driven mental health provision at the forefront. The innovative dashboard allows schools to group and filter data based on demographic characteristics, aligning with their conventional reporting practices.
To mark the dashboard’s launch, the team will conduct an online seminar. This event will feature experts demonstrating the capabilities of the dashboard, offering an overview of what the data can reveal and what it cannot. Additionally, a case study will showcase how researchers can utilize the tool to tailor school-based programs that promote and enhance students’ mental health and well-being.
Dr John Pickavance, Senior Research Fellow and Data Dashboard Lead, said; “For the first time, schools will have a scientific, evidence base describing the mental health needs of their students.
“In this way, we hope Age of Wonder data will become as useful to school leaders as academic assessment data, allowing them to track their students’ wellbeing at the group level, and allocate resource where support is needed.”
Professor Rosie McEachan, Director of Born in Bradford, stated; “Age of Wonder is powered by young people living in Bradford.”
“It is a turbulent time for young people who are dealing with multiple pressures including the cost-of-living crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic.
“Understanding more about the mental health of our young people is hugely important; we hope that schools will find the information we collect useful to help plan how best to support young people growing up in Bradford.”
The seminar, titled “The Age of Wonder: Data for Senior Leadership,” is scheduled for November 22 from 4 to 5:30 pm on Microsoft Teams. Participating schools will receive the meeting link via email. During the session, school leaders will receive login details for their respective dashboards.
One young person involved in the project said; “I think it is good to give the next generation voices because we’re going to be leaders and politicians in the future, so I think by letting us speak now it kind of gives people the courage and helps spread young people’s ideas so that they can expand and change our world one day.”
As Age of Wonder embarks on its second year of data collection, the aim is to engage more secondary schools, ensuring that the voices of even more young people are heard across Bradford. Schools interested in joining the Age of Wonder project and gaining access to the revolutionary data dashboard can contact ageofwonder@bthft.nhs.uk via email.
