Kate Lucas wins VC Prize for outstanding volunteering
Kate is a third-year undergraduate student studying Manufacturing Engineering at Homerton College. She has a notable passion for her subject, loves finding out how things work, and has a keen interest in how robotics can help us build a better world.
As a woman in engineering, she is also passionate about increasing diversity in the subject and is heavily involved with outreach projects to help encourage the next generation of engineers. Kate is a winner of the Changemakers Catalyst Fund 2024 with her project ‘Sparkbots’ and has also recently been awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Social Impact Award in the category ‘Volunteer of the Year’. An inspiring Changemakers Ambassador, Kate shares her story.
Winner - Volunteer of the Year
The Vice Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards are a set of awards to celebrate students who are involved in social impact activities across the university. Kate was nominated by Dr Soraya Jones, Director of Engagement and Operations for Changemakers, and went on to win in the category of ‘Volunteer of the Year’. Dr Georgie Horrell, Senior Tutor, Homerton College, and Dr Alison Wood, Academic Director of Homerton Changemakers, also attended the awards ceremony to support her, which Kate says ‘felt amazing - knowing I really had the support of my college behind me.’
Part of Kate’s work that contributed to the award took place during March and April and was facilitated by Changemakers. Kate and fellow student Henry Wall organised a series of after school sessions in King's Hedges, working with Cambridge Science Centre (CSC), to teach a group of 7-11 year old school children about robotics and explore their ideas and hopes for the future of technology.
Kate says:
“I'm really looking forward to building on this relationship with CSC and finding more ways to help with the amazing work they are doing for young people in Cambridge and the surrounding areas.
This was really the launchpad that gave me the confidence to enter the Changemakers Catalyst Fund competition. I learned so much through these volunteering activities and wanted to transform this into a tangible, wide reaching impact.”
Homerton Changemakers and the Catalyst Fund
Kate is a winner of the 2024 Changemakers Catalyst Fund with her project Sparkbots, benefiting from prize money of £2,000 and hands-on mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and leaders. Sparkbots aims to encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds to engage with STEM activities that are fun and engaging as well as educational. It seeks to provide equal opportunities to students who have the potential to thrive in engineering and positively influence the future of technology.
Kate says:
“It was really exciting to win the catalyst fund - it’s going to open so many doors for Sparkbots, both in terms of funding but also in terms of mentoring.”
During her time at Homerton, Kate had always been aware of Changemakers but hadn’t been involved until she attended one of its ‘Dinner with a Leader’ events. From there she found out about the programme as well as the funding and support offered to students in order to help with projects in the local community. It was at this time that the Changemakers team put her in touch with CSC, who work with young people across Cambridge and Cambridgeshire.
Kate says about the Changemakers programme:
“I think Homerton Changemakers is a great programme because it is really focussed on how you can translate the interesting and exciting ideas you have to make the world a better place into something concrete and deliverable.
I would say that all Homerton students should get involved - I think some people have an idea that Changemakers is something that you are either part of or not part of, but it's much more flexible than that. Some people might only drop in on one event, others might be ambassadors or run talks - there really is something for everyone.”
And as for the future of Sparkbots, Kate is already in talks with CSC to develop kits for their newly opened workshop space in the science park. She also has plans to deliver in-person workshops for Cambridge Tech Week in September. In the longer term, Kate hopes to develop activities not only for, but also with, young people, particularly those that currently don’t benefit from as many opportunities to engage in STEM activities.
