Japeto partnered with Harlow College's Games Design students to build Hart, a 24/7 AI safeguarding chatbot for students, in just 11 weeks.
- Japeto ran an 11-week enrichment programme with Harlow College Games Design students in 2023
- Students built Hart from scratch: a wellbeing and safeguarding chatbot for college students
- Hart offers 24/7 support on mental health, substance abuse, physical safety, and other safeguarding topics
- The project was part of Japeto’s beta programme, funded by a UKRI Innovate UK Smart Grant
- Hart was presented at the Arise Innovation Hub in Harlow to staff from Anglia Ruskin University and local Council members
What is the Chatbot Club?
The Chatbot Club is an 11-week enrichment programme Japeto ran with Harlow College, giving Games Design and Development students hands-on experience building a real AI chatbot — from zero to working prototype. The result was Hart: a wellbeing and safeguarding chatbot designed for students, by students. Hart is a virtual assistant that provides confidential, reliable guidance on mental health, substance abuse, physical safety, emotional wellbeing, and safeguarding — available around the clock via the college’s student information site.
Why Harlow College?
Harlow College is an Apple Distinguished School with a track record of bringing emerging technology into education. The college was actively exploring how AI could improve both the student and teacher experience — making them an ideal partner for Japeto’s beta programme.
The collaboration was also a natural fit for Japeto’s mission. With support from a UKRI Innovate UK Smart Grant, Japeto is developing AI chatbot tools specifically for organisations with safeguarding responsibilities — including those working with minors and vulnerable adults.
Only 47% of organisations rate themselves as excellent at safeguarding users, according to the 2023 Charity Digital Skills report. Hart was built to help close that gap.
What Students Learned
Over the 11 weeks, students didn’t just write code — they worked through the full product development lifecycle:
- Natural language understanding (NLU) — the technology powering Japeto’s chatbots
- Software architecture and design
- User testing and iteration
- Project management and daily standups
Delta Muntean, Assistant Academy Manager for Games Design and Development, said the students were determined to make it a success: “The Chatbot Club is a groundbreaking initiative that could have far reaching implications for the college.”
Ingrid Folland, CEO of Japeto, noted what the collaboration revealed: “The students have been really fantastic, especially the way they talk about AI. They have a great understanding of AI technology, which from a business perspective has provided us with so many valuable insights.”
The Demo Day
The Chatbot Club presented Hart at the Arise Innovation Hub in Harlow on 13 December 2023 — demonstrating live how the chatbot handles safeguarding questions and how it could be integrated into Harlow College’s student information site.
The audience included staff from Anglia Ruskin University and local Council members.
You can read Harlow College’s own write-up of the project here.
What Students Said About Hart
Owen (2nd year Games Design): “I’m really interested in how chatbots function, how they operate in the real world and what benefits they have, especially as working in AI will provide future employment and apprenticeship opportunities.”
Leila (2nd year Games Design): “I really think our chatbot could be invaluable, especially for people who struggle with severe anxiety and who don’t feel confident to talk one to one with a person. With our chatbot, they’ve still got a way to communicate without feeling uncomfortable.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a safeguarding chatbot?
A safeguarding chatbot is an AI-powered virtual assistant that helps students and vulnerable people access confidential support and information — on topics like mental health, substance abuse, and personal safety — without needing to speak to someone directly.
Can a chatbot be used for safeguarding in schools and colleges?
Yes. AI chatbots can be deployed to provide 24/7 access to safeguarding information and signpost students toward the right services. They are not a replacement for human safeguarding leads, but they lower the barrier for students who might otherwise not ask for help.
How do you build a chatbot for a college or charity?
Building a safeguarding chatbot involves defining the use case (e.g. mental health or student wellbeing), training the chatbot on relevant information, testing with real users, and ensuring the platform meets data privacy and safeguarding requirements. Japeto’s beta programme supports organisations through this process.
What is Japeto’s beta programme?
Japeto’s beta programme partners with organisations that have specific safeguarding, data, or privacy needs — prioritising those working with minors or vulnerable adults. Partners help shape the development of Japeto’s chatbot platform by providing real-world feedback.
Chatbot Club 2023
Congratulations to the Chatbot Club for their great presentation work!
