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Solving Wicked Problems for 15-17 Year Olds

  • Level(s) of Study: Short course
  • Course Fee:

    £525

  • Start Date(s): 28 July 2025
  • Duration: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, one week
  • Study Mode(s): Part-time
  • Campus: City Campus
  • Entry Requirements: More information

Introduction:

This course is for changemakers, for those who want to understand the world, challenge assumptions, and develop skills that matter.

If you’re ready to think differently, question everything, and step into uncertainty with confidence, this course is for you.

From climate change to artificial intelligence, inequality to digital misinformation, the world is full of complex challenges with no easy answers, these are called wicked problems. They shape the way we live, work, and think about the future.

This course isn’t about memorising facts or finding the ‘right’ answer, with wicked problems, there often isn’t one. Instead, you’ll develop the skills to explore, question, and engage with these challenges in a meaningful way.

A major focus of the course is learning how to evaluate different sources of information and perspectives. In an age of overwhelming content, you’ll learn how to:

  • Distinguish fact from misinformation and understand how narratives are shaped.
  • Assess the reliability of data and identify bias in media and research.
  • Reflect on how perspectives are shaped by different experiences, cultures, and biases.
  • Engage in meaningful discussions, even when opinions differ.

Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award?

This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential Award and is an amazing opportunity to make new friends and memories. It will be fun and gently challenging, allowing you to follow your passion and discover talents you never knew you had.

DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.

You must also attend the social events that are planned on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and you must plan and attend your own social activities with other participants on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

What you’ll study

The future is complex, and the ability to think critically, collaborate, and problem-solve is more important than ever. This course will help you:

  • Develop skills which allow you to work more creatively and positively with others
  • Develop skills which help you reflect on and think creatively about important global issues.
  • Learn how to navigate problems with no easy answers.
  • Improve your communication and collaboration skills, essential for any future career.
  • Gain confidence in dialogic approaches to collaboration, presenting, and leadership.

To help you develop your ability to work with problems and with other people, we’ll be exploring wicked problems through engagement with the , a framework which explores the skills we need to understand ourselves and how we work successfully with others, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them.

Social events

We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evening to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15 – 17 year olds, which are free to attend.

Day 1: Introduction to Polycrisis, Wicked Problems and the importance of developing dialogues through the medium of climate change
Day 2: Developing capacities in reflection and critical/complexity thinking to help engage with the wicked problem of migration
Day 3: Exploring the wicked problem of AI and developing and reflecting on how to relate to and collaborate with others
Days 4 and 5: Returning to climate change and biodiversity loss to collaboratively design solutions using the skills learned throughout the first three days

How you’re taught

This course will be delivered in person on Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé city campus.

Each day, we’ll:

  • Look at real-world wicked problems
  • Use decision-making and collaborative skills
  • Develop reflective and dialogic approaches and use these to create and present your own solutions.

96% of previous course attendees were satisfied with the course, received the attention they needed and would consider doing another short course at NTU.

Contact hours

You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.

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Tutor Profiles:

Phil is a professor in the Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé School of Education with a keen interest in the nature of change, particularly in the field of education. He has recently completed projects focusing on organisational change in schools through the use of dialogue. He is interested in the interface between leadership and organisations, believing in the need for a more community driven approach to organisational cultures and change. He leads the MA Education programme’s module on Organisation, leadership and change. Phil recently started an IDG Hub at the NIoE, one of roughly 650 such Hubs across the globe which acts as a community to explore the use of the IDGs to build community and organisational resilience and insight.

Gaye is the course leader for the MA Education in the NIoE. She has wide ranging experience across the education sector in both the UK and New Zealand. Her research interests include evidence-based practice in education (classroom management and teaching practices), parent/teacher partnerships, children’s antisocial (and prosocial) developmental trajectory/children’s social and emotional competence. Together with Phil she has developed an additional suite of sessions on the IDGs and wicked problems for masters students on the MA Education programme.

Staff Profiles

Gaye Tyler-Merrick - Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Dr Tyler-Merrick is the Course Leader for the MA Education. She supervises PhD/ EdD and Masters student projects.

Philip Wood - Professor

School of Social Sciences

Profile for Prof Phil Wood, research on change, organisations and process philosophy.

Careers and employability

By taking this course, you’ll gain key skills valued in universities and workplaces, including:

  • Decision-making and thinking skills, essential for future study and careers.
  • Collaboration and leadership, useful in any professional or academic setting.
  • Communication and dialogic skills, boosting your confidence in presenting ideas.

The course is designed to give you a real experience of university life, make new friends who share similar interests and develop your portfolio so that ultimately, you can make an informed decision about your future.

On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.

Campus and facilities

You'll be based in the School of Social Sciences at the City Campus in the heart of Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

Entry requirements

No prior knowledge is required, but an interest in understanding and addressing complex global issues and a willingness to engage in critical thinking and collaborative learning is essential.

You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to attend this course.

Fees and funding

Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.

Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.

All your materials and equipment will be provided, but you may also want to bring with you:

  • Notepad and pen
  • Mobile phone or camera for recording images.

Please note that lunch is not provided, so bring your packed lunch or money to buy food on the city campus. The city centre, with plenty of cafés and grocery shops, is just a 5-minute walk away. You can also check which campus buildings have café outlets using .

You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.

Need accommodation?

Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £259 per week, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.

These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé’s city campus accommodation.

If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian (to support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence and there is a dedicated Warden available).

If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian (you must book two separate rooms and let us know so we can place you in rooms next to each other).

This option is particularly popular with students completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award.

Find out more and book your accommodation here.

Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?

If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees (email the short course team with your order number to claim the refund).

How to apply

You can book this course via the NTU online store:

Browse all our summer courses for 15 – 17 year olds.

Any questions?

Contact the short course team:

This course is also available as a bespoke training programme for individuals, schools, and organisations, regardless of age group. If you're interested in a tailored version of the course for adults or a specific audience, please contact us.