Make It Happen goes global under Tech for Social Good

Make It Happen is a program that inspires young students to explore technology and bring their unique ideas to life. Since its inception in 2018, Make It Happen has inspired over 73,000 school children in more than 300 primary schools to explore STEM. In 2024, Make It Happen became an official part of JPMorganChase’s Tech for Social Good programs.

Two senior leaders in JPMorganChase’s Glasgow Technology Center co-founded the Make It Happen charity with the goal of giving back to their community by inspiring young minds to become digital creators.

Together with a team of six technologists and educators, Make It Happen partnered with four local Glasgow schools to pilot an app design competition. The concept was simple: ask students to design an idea for an app that would make someone’s life easier, solve a problem, make the world a better place, or simply entertain. JPMorganChase tech volunteers would then build out the winning ideas into functioning apps for students to share with their friends and family.

From app ideas that would aid communication, assist with daily chores, make learning more enjoyable, or bring characters and drawings to life, the young technologists did not disappoint. Rather, they proved that their unique perspective is invaluable, inspiring people to think differently about the way we interact with the world around us.

In its commitment to inclusivity, Make It Happen has been lucky enough to extend its reach to the most rural areas in Scotland, including the Scottish islands, ensuring that young people from all backgrounds could participate. The program has hosted various national competitions across England and Scotland, focusing on themes such as eco-friendliness, celebrating holidays with kindness and joy, and promoting STEM, allowing pupils from diverse regions to showcase their creativity and innovation.  

To encourage STEM-focused learning beyond the actual app design competition in schools, Make It Happen developed workshop content to enrich community and family engagements. Armed with green screens, modular building toys, and mini robots, Make It Happen workshops inspire students ages 5-12 to make short stop-motion movies. In doing so, the children are thinking critically and creatively, solving problems, learning about coding fundamentals, and communicating with their peers.

As we look to the future, the journey of Make It Happen serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation. With the app design competition now managed by Tech for Social Good and the dedication of countless volunteers and educators, Make It Happen is poised to inspire the next generation of digital creators. 

To get a closer look at the impact and activities of the Make It Happen program, watch this video: https://www.jpmorgan.com/payments/make-it-happen