Page 86 - 2018 Powerlist

Public Sector & Third Sector Dr Tony Sewell

Author, teacher, lecturer
and the founder and CEO of
Generating Genius. Member,
Youth Justice Board

Awarded a CBE this year for his
services to education, Dr Sewell
continues to drive STEM opportunities
for gifted young black children
through his organisation Generating
Genius.
The unique programme with global
specialist STEM recruiters SThree
gives London sixth formers one week’s
work experience with the country’s
leading science and tech companies.
The project has proved such a success
that some participants have been
offered jobs before going to university.
The respected academic, social
commentator and writer has spent
most of his career immersed in the
world of education. He founded
Generating Genius in 2005 in a bid
to help STEM-talented kids from
disadvantaged backgrounds win
places at top UK universities.
In 2012, Dr Sewell was appointed
Chair of the Mayor’s Education
Inquiry which explored the challenges
facing London’s schools. Its final,
landmark, report in 2013 led to the
establishment of the £24m London
Schools Excellence Fund, which sees
high-performing schools working with
partners to help raise standards of
teaching in other schools.
Dr Sewell has also run the first
Jamaican schools’ Shakespeare
Championship, which was televised
on Jamaican television.
“My aim is to show that poor black
people are not just runners and
singers but we can engage with the
difficult classical texts and produce
great works of art. This is just as
important as Usain Bolt.”
This year’s winning school, Knox
College, will be coming to the UK in
February to share their production of
The Merchant of Venice.
This summer, Dr Sewell was
awarded an honorary doctor of Laws
by the University of Exeter.

82 Powerlist 2018