Does teaching children to drive make them better drivers as adults? Mercedes-Benz thinks so. This summer saw the launch of its Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in the UK, which teaches anyone over 10 years and 1.5 metres tall the basics of manoeuvring a car.

With packages tailored to different age groups, the Academy aims to show young people the ins and outs of driving, rather than the minimum needed to pass a test. Children aged 10–14 are taught the basics of road safety and car handling, taking an A Class out for a half-hour spin for GBP 40. The 'Pre-Road Sessions', meanwhile, are targeted at 15–17 year-olds and delve a little deeper into the theory of driving, the traffic code and dealing with emergency situations. Prices start at GBP 75 for a one-hour track session. A 3-hour, GBP 205 'Parent-Partner Package' is designed to improve parents' confidence and patience when teaching their child how to drive, no matter how hair raising the experience may be. Last but not least, those over 17 are also catered for: there's a full driving test package available to assist with passing the theory and practical test.

Mercedes-Benz isn't alone in offering a service like this: we spotted BMW and Audi offering driving lessons a while back as part of the status skills trend. However, the Mercedes scheme adds a clever twist by engaging kids with its aspirational brand. With a bit of luck, they'll lust after MB cars throughout their teens and twenties, purchasing one when they can afford to do so. Or else cajole their parents into buying so they can happily travel in a Merc back seat.

Website: www.mbdrivingacademy.com
Contact: www.mbdrivingacademy.com/useful-info/contact

Spotted by: David Licona

We've covered inventive ways to recycle a plastic bottle: including turning them into countertops and bedding. Joining the game is Oak Hall Industries, a manufacturer of academic apparel which claims to be the first in its industry to use recycled materials.

Greenweaver is Oak Hall's new line of caps and gowns, so named because the range is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. The bottles are turned into molten plastic pellets, which are then spun into a soft, breathable polyester fabric. An average of 23 bottles goes into each gown. Estimated costs of the gowns have not yet been published, but Oak Hall hopes to sweep the ceremonial stage with its Greenweaver line by spring graduation 2010.

Website: www.oakhalli.com/greenweavermovement.php
Contact: greenweaver@oakhalli.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Entrepreneurs in the developing world have already benefited from peer-to-peer lending programs through the likes of Kiva, Wokai and Jolkona. Now aiming to bring similar benefits to students in those areas is Vittana, a Seattle-based foundation that focuses on educational loans.

Now in beta, Vittana partners with microfinance institutions (MFIs) throughout the developing world to catalyze new student lending programs. Potential lenders begin by browsing through the students profiled on the site—current examples include a 19-year-old woman studying industrial administration in Peru, for example, and a 25-year-old man studying financial accounting in Nicaragua. When they see one they'd like to help, they can lend as little as USD 25 toward that student's education. Vittana's local MFI partner—which has already verified that the students listed are hard-working and likely to succeed—then disburses the full amount of that loan to the student. Once the student graduates and gets a job, he or she starts paying back that MFI partner; when the loaned funds are fully repaid, Vittana returns to the lender the full amount that was lent.

We wrote last year about Fynanz and its peer-to-peer student loans, but it's nice to see similar capabilities being brought to students in the developing world. One to partner with, emulate, or otherwise get involved in! (Related: Fighting poverty through microloan guarantees.)

Website: www.vittana.org
Contact: customer-service@vittana.org

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz

School lunches are increasingly a focal point in the ongoing battle against childhood obesity, drawing even the attention of British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Following survey results suggesting that one of parents' top concerns is that they don't typically know what's on the menu on any given day, the UK's School Fund Trust has partnered with Somerset County Services to publish its school menu each day via Twitter.

Beginning this fall, parents who subscribe to the trial service by following @SCSSchoolmeals will receive a tweet each morning showing what’s on the school menu. Any parent, grandparent or care-giver can follow, whether their child currently eats school meals or not. The feed will also be used to update parents on special theme days, taster sessions and how to apply for free school meals. The trial is part of a raft of new initiatives the School Fund Trust is piloting to increase use of school meals; results will be made available online.

Chris Wainwright of the School Food Trust explains: “With this trial, parents will be able to ask what children thought about the food on offer, and which lunch option they chose. It gives parents the information they need to start discussions about healthy food.”

Given that some 6 million people visit Twitter each month, it's not too surprising that more than 100 local councils in the UK are currently on Twitter—nor that the UK government recently published a 20-page guide urging MPs and civil servants to embrace the microblogging platform. Consumers can use Twitter to track their packages, file civic complaints and apply for jobs; where could the ability to tweet benefit your brand...? (Related: In Jakarta, healthy meals at sponsored food carts for kids.)

Website: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk — www.myschoollunch.co.uk
Contact: info@sft.gsi.gov.uk

Spotted by: Judy McRae

A while back, we featured MyCricketCoach, which provides long distance cricket training by web. While there are benefits to picking a niche, a different website allows athletes and coaches of all sports to give and get online coaching.

The online community at Upmygame helps athletes gain advice from professional coaches and other users. At sign-up, participants are asked to specify whether they're an ‘athlete’ or a ‘coach’, although both parties can give and receive advice. Critiquing takes place via short videos uploaded by athletes, containing footage of them practising their chosen sport—anything from football to yoga. Frame-by-frame playback allows for precise commentary in the form of diagrams and text. Bringing an authentic coaching experience to the web, any coach with a mic on their computer can also upload a recording of their advice. Although the site places an emphasis on its ability to help athletes improve, it also acts as a money-making platform for coaches who wish to charge for their insight.

Whereas all of MyCricketCoach’s advice came from one coach, Upmygame acts as a broker for advice, turning it into a P2P marketplace—an Etsy for coaching, if you like. Now that services can be sold online as easily as products, what gaps can you benefit from bridging? (Related: Sell what you say — Hair salon offers Skype consultations.)

Website: www.upmygame.com
Contact: info@upmygame.com