Beverly Clarke (consultant)
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Beverly Clarke (consultant) | |
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| Born | Guyana,South America |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | South Bank University |
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Beverly Clarke MBE is a British education and technology consultant, author, speaker and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. She is known for her work in computing education and her efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Early life and education
Clarke was born in Guyana,South America. She is the eldest of three siblings from a family of educators. At age 12, her family moved to The Bahamas and later to the United Kingdom when she was 15. Her interest in computing was sparked by a teacher at Cardinal Pole RC School in Hackney, London. She pursued higher education at South Bank University, where she studied computing and completed a placement with the Metropolitan Police, gaining experience in network systems and client services.
Career
She began her professional career in IT consultancy, working with Surrey County Council and Capgemini. She later transitioned into education, teaching in secondary and further education settings over a fourteen-year period. During this time, she served as Head of Department and Director of Computing and Digital Learning.
Clarke has contributed to national initiatives, including the Computing at School (CAS) program under the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE). She has also developed resources[1][2] for a range of clients across the world.
Clarke frequently participates in public events and festivals aimed at promoting careers[3][4] in technology and sustainability, continuing her advocacy for diversity and innovation in the STEM fields.[5][6] In 2023, she delivered a keynote at the Festival of Learning[7] at BT's Adastral Park, Ipswich, bringing tech industry and education closer together.[8] In 2024, Clarke continued her work inspiring young people to explore careers in technology, she delivered sessions at the Green Tech Fest [9] in Suffolk, encouraging students to think creatively about technology, sustainability and future careers.
Beyond her speaking engagements, Clarke is a regular blogger and writer[10] sharing insights on education, technology trends and diversity in STEM.
Podcasting
Through her podcasting work, Clarke co-hosts and contributes to podcasts focused on education, technology trends and diversity in STEM. She also empowers aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing insights on navigating the tech industry, building digital skills and fostering innovation. Her podcast appearances and hosting efforts aim to make technology careers and entrepreneurship more accessible to a wider audience.
Policy and advisory contributions
Clarke has actively contributed to discussions on the intersection of education and emerging technologies. In 2018, she provided expert testimony to the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI),[11] sharing insights on the role of education in preparing society for the advancements and challenges posed by AI. Her involvement in this group is documented in the "Learning to Learn"[12] report published by Big Innovation Centre[13] and KPMG, which emphasises the importance of fostering adaptable learning skills in the age of AI. In 2025, she also served on the UK Government’s Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group, which was established to advise on what changes are needed to the UK education system to improve digital skills, including in AI.
Publications
Clarke is the author of "Computer Science Teacher: Insight into the Computing Classroom" aimed at encouraging individuals to enter the computing teaching profession. She also self-published "The Digital Adventures of Ava and Chip," a children's book series designed to make technology concepts accessible and engaging for young readers.
Advocacy and recognition
Clarke is an advocate for diversity in STEM, She founded the charity Technology Books for Children to promote reading for pleasure about technology among young people. She has contributed her expertise to several boards, including the BETT Advisory[14] and Computing at School (CAS) boards, and has judged the BETT Awards.[15] Additionally, she serves as a trustee for national charities the Digital Poverty Alliance[16] and Archives of IT.[17]
In recognition of her contributions to education and technology, Clarke has received several awards and honours. She was nominated in 2018 as the BCS nominee for Women in Engineering Society – Karen Burt Award. In 2022 she won a Tech Women100 Award[18] and was also recognised as a Small Business Sunday Award Winner through her childrens book series, The Digital Adventures of Ava and Chip. Clarke was featured in the GTA Black Women in Tech[19] project in 2023, and she has longlisted for Computer Weekly's Most Influential Women in UK Tech[20] for three consecutive years - 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2024, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Services to Education.[21]
References
- ↑ "Alternate Unit: Artificial Intelligence". 4 June 2019.
- ↑ "Beverly Clarke - National Leader in Computing Education".
- ↑ "Exploring careers bubbles to success with STEAM Northants event".
- ↑ "Tech Talks: Opportunities For Your Future".
- ↑ "University helps to inspire teachers at regional computing conference". 26 November 2018.
- ↑ "UpNorth! Online Teach Computing Conference".
- ↑ "Free festival brings tech industry and education together". 26 October 2023.
- ↑ "estival of Learning at BT's Adastral Park, Ipswich, brings tech industry and education closer together".
- ↑ "Students inspired to consider tech careers at Green Tech Fest". East Anglian Daily Times. 21 February 2025.
- ↑ "ITN Business - Addressing the digital divide: Leveraging AI to bridge educational inequalities". 5 April 2024.
- ↑ https://biginnovationcentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Learning-to-Learn_Final_Report_BIC_KPMG_comp.pdf
- ↑ "Learning to Learn - The Future Proof Skill - A report created by Big Innovation Centre, the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI, and powered by KPMG" (PDF).
- ↑ https://biginnovationcentre.com/
- ↑ "An Update from the Bett UK Advisory Board".
- ↑ "2025 Judging Panel".
- ↑ "Our People". 26 April 2022.
- ↑ "Trustees".
- ↑ "WeAreTechWomen is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 TechWomen100 Awards".
- ↑ "The Story of Beverly Clarke".
- ↑ "Most influential women in UK tech: The 2024 longlist".
- ↑ "Birthday Honours List 2024 PM List Transparency Data (HTML)".
External links
This article "Beverly Clarke (consultant)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.