Homerton Changemakers Report
Dr Alison Wood
Changemakers is Homerton’s pioneering co-curricular programme equipping students to be apt, wise agents of change amidst complexity. Changemakers develops students’ awareness of self; helps them build gritty real-world skills to be effective in society; and encourages them to connect large ambition with practical ability for making a positive impact in the world.
Established in 2019 Changemakers is part of Homerton’s long term commitment to intelligent education for humane and capacious leadership: the conditions for creating a more just, sustainable, inclusive world.
Changemakers is available to all Homerton students, free of charge, and offers residentials and workshops; a mentoring scheme and 1:1 mentoring for project ideas; programmes with partner organisations; a catalyst fund supporting student-led initiatives; an annual Changemakers Prize; online resources; a student ambassador group; and access to leading Changemakers through roundtables, screenings, and field trips. Students can engage as little or as much as they wish, concomitant with their interests, timetables and existing skills.
“Changemakers amplifies your degree , to enable you to make a positive change in the world. It is about providing our students with insight, leadership, skills and a powerhouse of cross-disciplinary understanding. Our students are very lucky to have this opportunity to make an impact.”
Soraya Jones
Over the last four years Changemakers has taught approx. 24,000 student hours, 2300 student encounters; built a network of over 200 champions who have gifted nearly 6,000 hours of their time teaching and supporting students; hosted 150 events; supported 50 student ambassadors; helped enable 14 start-ups; and generated over £500K in in-kind and financial support.
In 2022-2023 Changemakers taught approx. 12,000 student hours in 1,100 student encounters; supported 6 start-ups; and hosted 60 events, including a 6-day residential at Homerton for 70 students, and a 3-day field trip in conjunction with the Eden Project, Cornwall as part of the newly launched Game Changers initiative. 95% of students across the programme rate their experiences ‘outstanding’. We are seeing high rates of repeat encounters and steady year on year growth of student numbers, student-led initiatives and engagement. Anecdotal evidence indicates increasing desirability and effectiveness of Changemakers: for prospective students listing Homerton as a college of choice; for current students, both personally and in their academic work; for colleagues who contribute; and for the reputation of Homerton as a progressive, action-orientated and values-led place, within Cambridge and well-beyond.
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