Inspiring students with Enspire City

Students at Smithdon High School in Norfolk took a virtual step into the world of engineering with Enginuity’s Enspire City, using interactive, game-based sessions during form time to explore career paths in sectors from aerospace to vertical farming.

Across three weeks, students in Years 7–10 from Smithdon High School spent one 30‑minute form‑time session per week exploring Enspire City. They began with the ‘Meet the future you’ quiz, which introduced them to roles in STEM based on their interests, then moved on to explore the Enspire City landscape and its zones, including vertical farming, aerospace, automotive and space, discovering real career pathways and interactive activities.

What is Enspire City

Enspire City is a virtual game, designed for classroom use, aligning with UK curriculums, the Skills Builder Framework, UN Sustainability Goals, and Gatsby Benchmarks for career development. 

Each game comes with comprehensive lesson plans, facilitator notes, and student worksheets to support session delivery. Whether you’re an educator or a business owner aiming to engage with young people, Enspire City offers a high-quality, safe, and effective way to spark interest in STEM.

Feedback from the classroom

Feedback from educators at Smithdon was overwhelmingly positive. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree):

• “Our students know more about engineering careers” was rated 5
• "Students are more interested in engineering and manufacturing careers" was rated 4
• Engagement with Enspire City averaged a score of 4 across 4-year groups

One teacher noted: “The format of the Enspire City experience is good at keeping their interest with plenty of different zones to explore. Students felt like they were playing a game but also learned a lot about engineering careers they didn’t even know existed!”

A student who engaged with the game shared: “Enspire City taught me that engineering and manufacturing is involved in many more jobs than I thought.” Another added, “I learnt how engineers can change the world.”

Smithdon’s rural location means most local employment revolves around tourism, and many students don't consider commuting or moving beyond the area, which restricts their exposure to engineering and manufacturing careers.

Teachers felt that initial discussions around career aspirations and case studies made STEM more relatable, especially when drawn from diverse backgrounds, as showcased in Enginuity’s materials.

Discovering Enspire City gave the school access to a free, engaging platform with no per-student licensing, making it cost-effective for large groups. With ready-to-use facilitator resources and no technical barriers, it was easy to implement and instantly classroom-ready.

How Enspire City benefits young people

• Game‑based learning: Students enjoy exploring a virtual city, making career discovery feel intuitive and fun.
• Multiple career zones: From aerospace to vertical farming, each area highlights real roles, qualifications, and daily tasks.
• Curriculum and career aligned: Zones tie into school subjects and challenge students to apply skills like problem‑solving and aiming high.
• Inclusive and diverse role models: Case studies profile engineers from varied backgrounds, making the game inclusive to all users.
• Free and flexible: The platform is free to use, and facilitator materials and quizzes make it easy to plug into form time or lessons.

Smithdon High School’s Enspire City rollout demonstrates how a low‑cost, high‑impact tool can widen horizons for rural students and help bridge the gap to manufacturing and engineering careers.

Discover Enspire City