“Explorations into different worlds”: Getting creative in the classroom with Giant Journeys
In our latest Digital Northants Story, Darren Smith from Giant Journeys explains his passion for creative education and what’s next on the horizon for his growing business.
In the early 2000s, I founded an education company that delivered curriculum-based workshops in primary schools.
This initiative gradually expanded, annually working with several million children across the UK and Australia by the time I sold the business in 2017. After that chapter closed, I felt a strong pull to return to schools, where my passion for education first began.
Following the sale, I worked as a business advisor for a social enterprise in Hertfordshire and later became the Business Growth Manager at Vulcan Works.
However, my desire to work directly with children remained. While continuing my role at Vulcan Works, I started to explore new ways to deliver educational workshops, building on my years of experience.
This led to the creation of Giant Journeys, an initiative designed to transform how children engage with learning. Unlike traditional workshops, Giant Journeys are immersive and interactive, offering more than just a standard educational experience. We call them "journeys" because they are meant to be explorations into different worlds, using modern technology to make learning more engaging.
One of the key elements that sets Giant Journeys apart is our blend of hands-on activities with augmented and virtual reality. For instance, in our dinosaur journey, children uncover fossils in sandboxes and then use tablets to view the dinosaurs in augmented reality. This mix of physical and digital exploration makes the learning process more memorable and effective.
We also offer CSI-themed journeys, where school halls are turned into crime scenes. Here, children learn about DNA, fibres, and fingerprints, using augmented reality to find and analyze evidence. This practical, immersive approach brings scientific concepts to life in a way that textbooks can't.
Our virtual reality workshops add another layer of excitement, allowing children to explore the human body or visit ancient civilizations. Guided by facilitators, these VR experiences feel real and immediate, making education both engaging and adventurous.
These workshops cater to children from reception age up to year six, with activities tailored to different age groups.
For younger children, for example, our Around the Body journey combines virtual reality with hands-on tasks like assembling skeletons, reinforcing their learning in a tangible way.
My ongoing passion for education is rooted in a belief in its transformative power. Even though I now manage Vulcan Works and have sold my previous business, the drive to help children learn remains strong. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing a child light up with curiosity and excitement during these journeys. We're not just offering workshops; we're bringing entire worlds into the classroom.
One upcoming project I'm particularly excited about is a percussion workshop using recycled materials. Children will create music with a professional percussionist, followed by a virtual reality experience focused on eco-friendly practices. It’s another example of how we combine hands-on learning with technology to create enriching experiences.
We also have a five-meter-long animatronic T-Rex, which adds a memorable dimension to our dinosaur workshops. This isn’t just a novelty; it's a way to make learning stick with children long after the day is over.
Giant Journeys is still in its early stages, but the response has been really positive. We’ve started working with schools in Northamptonshire, offering discounted sessions to build our presence and showcase the impact of these workshops. Our goal is to expand throughout the Midlands and then nationwide. The workshops are designed to be consistent and scalable, whether we’re in Northampton or Newcastle.
Looking ahead, we're exploring the idea of virtual reality workshops for secondary schools, focusing on decision-making scenarios that address complex issues like knife crime. This concept builds on previous projects I’ve worked on, where students made choices that influenced outcomes. These workshops allow young people to experience consequences in a safe environment.
As Giant Journeys continues to grow, the vision is clear: to create educational experiences that are not only informative but also engaging and memorable. Whether through virtual reality, augmented reality, or hands-on activities, the aim is always to inspire and enrich the next generation.
Ultimately, it's about creating those moments when a child grasps a concept through experience, not just from a book. That's what Giant Journeys aims to achieve, and it's why I'm passionate about this work. We're not just teaching children; we're guiding them on journeys that will stay with them for a lifetime.