UCL Engineering has a well-established, award-winning education engagement programme. Volunteering is at the core of our engagement strategy - it is about making a real difference and collectively contributing towards a more culturally and scientifically engaged society.
Success of our programmes unquestionably depends upon the vital contribution of our student volunteers - their passion and active engagement bring events to life; they are the best ambassadors for STEM and Engineering.
UCL students tell us that volunteering helps them develop invaluable transferable skills. It can also help improve their wellbeing, and can give them new perspectives on their academic subject. It also gives them the chance to make positive changes within the wider world, and to play a part within communities beyond UCL.
Dr Elpida Makrygianni MBE, Head of Education Engagement at UCL Engineering, explains:
We believe that volunteering has the power to transform lives of the people in the communities we serve. Our over 800 staff and students have been actively supporting communities and working closely with organisations on a wide range of projects. There is a real appetite to give back and make a difference, so we are delighted to have teamed up with Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service to offer high-quality volunteering opportunities to students and staff.”
Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service (VS) exists to connect all UCL students with good quality, rewarding volunteering across London. The VS matches students up with opportunities from their voluntary sector partners, supports students to set up and run their own community activities and brings together Master’s students and community organisations for collaborative research projects.
John Braime, Volunteering Manager at the UCL Volunteering Service, comments:
We’re so pleased to be working with UCL Engineering to support student volunteers. We’ve seen first-hand some of the fantastic work Engineering students have done in communities around London, and would like even more students to get inspired and get involved.”
As UCL Engineering volunteer student tutor Zarin Haque notes, the best aspect of volunteering
...is the bonding and social experience... [my tutees’] zeal to learn and excel inspires me to put in more effort for my own assignments and exams.”
Dr Alice Moon, Careers Consultant from the UCL Engineering Faculty Careers Team, adds:
This partnership is really exciting. Volunteering is a fantastic way for students to develop their employability - their skills, knowledge, experiences, networks, and more - in ways that we know employers really value. We regularly see Engineering students articulating what they have gained from their volunteer projects to make a positive impact in their CVs and interviews."
In a post-COVID-19 world, UCL Engineering and the VS have even more to offer to the communities we serve, and we believe it is our collective duty to do so.
We will work together to achieve this in the following ways:
UCL Engineering and UCL Volunteering Service agreement
- Both parties will set up a data sharing agreement, so we can better track the number of UCL Engineering student volunteers, hours and projects.
- All UCL Engineering volunteers will receive a Certificate of Volunteering, and will be invited to a Volunteering Awards Ceremony to receive it.
- All UCL Engineering volunteers will be invited to take part in personal development/training opportunities organised by the VS.
- The Faculty of Engineering Sciences volunteering opportunities webpage on the VS website shows volunteering opportunities that are particularly relevant for UCL Engineering students; links to this page will be added to all UCL Engineering departmental website Study sections, plus the Faculty website Study section.
- The VS and UCL Engineering will circulate volunteering opportunities relevant to UCL Engineering students via the student intranet, its associated newsletter, and the UCL Engineering Careers newsletter.
- The VS will create at least one one-off volunteering opportunity per year for UCL Engineering students.
- The VS will show data and case studies relating to UCL Engineering’s volunteering programme in its annual review of volunteering, to help raise wider awareness of the programme and the efforts of UCL Engineering volunteers.
- UCL Engineering will promote its own volunteering opportunities through the VS.
Find out more: Faculty of Engineering Sciences volunteering opportunities
Links
- Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service (VS) website.
- UCL Volunteering Service impact.
- UCL Engineering Study section.
- UCL Engineering Departments.
- UCL Engineering Schools engagement.
- UCL Engineering Student Tutors articles.
- UCL Engineering Careers Team page.
Image
- Caption: A UCL Engineering student volunteer leading a school outreach session in 2019.
- Credit: Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service.
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