Student app designed to bridge the life skills gap shortlisted for national award
An app designed by School of Social Sciences students has been shortlisted for the Spark Awards for Big Changemakers, a national initiative recognising impactful, youth-led solutions to challenges faced by young people.
The award-nominated student app, Clarify, assists those aged 16-24 in navigating essential life skills including financial literacy, legal awareness, career readiness and day-to-day adult responsibilities.
We believe success is more than academic achievement. Clarify empowers youth with agency, growth, and supportive relationships by creating a space where they can learn, ask questions, and connect with others facing similar transitions into adulthood.
The three BA (Econ) students, Irene Madu, Vania Ahiakwo and Sonia (Germaine) Garba Enyai, worked on the app alongside their studies to create a supportive resource for young people.
They said: 鈥淎t the start, we were just bouncing around ideas between lectures, trying to find common ground on something we believed could actually make a difference. Building Clarify meant juggling exams, research projects, and tight deadlines 鈥� but we kept pushing.
Being shortlisted for the award feels like a real step forward. It shows that the work, late nights, and belief in what we鈥檙e doing are paying off. We built Clarify to help young people like us, and we鈥檙e excited to see where it goes next.
Drawing insights from a recent Santander finding that 79% of young people report feeling unprepared for financial realities, the app offers courses, videos and features on taxes, pensions, warranties and other areas often underrepresented in traditional education.
The Clarify team added: 鈥淢any lack knowledge about legal rights or how to access help. We've spoken with peers, surveyed students, and collaborated with professionals 鈥� all pointing to the same insight: there鈥檚 a clear, urgent demand for accessible, inclusive life-readiness education.鈥�
The app team is currently inviting students to and help shape the platform into a meaningful and accessible resource for young people across the UK.