We’re delighted to share that the UCL Festival of Engineering 2024 has been shortlisted for the 2025 HEIST Award for Best Widening Participation Initiative!
This recognition celebrates the Festival’s mission to open up the world of engineering to young people from all walks of life. Held from 15–20 July 2024, the Festival welcomed over 4,000 children to explore cutting-edge research, meet real engineers, and discover how engineering can help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges—from climate change to health and inequality.
What made the Festival truly special was its collaborative spirit. Co-created with schools, families, community groups, and our Festival Partners, the programme was designed to be inclusive, inspiring, and hands-on. Events took place across six London boroughs and online, including a live-streamed session with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
A significant number of the young people who took part came from communities that are often underrepresented in STEM. Whether they were exploring our engineering labs, taking part in interactive sessions, or meeting engineers who reflected their own backgrounds, the Festival helped them imagine a future in engineering where they truly belong.
“It’s an honour to see the Festival recognised in this way. We set out to create something truly welcoming and inspiring for young people who might not have seen themselves in engineering before. Being shortlisted is a reflection of the incredible teamwork and shared belief in making engineering accessible to all.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to the 364 volunteers that made the Festival of Engineering possible and to our Delivery Partners—Royal Academy of Engineering, EngineeringUK, STEM Learning, London Transport Museums and NASA —for their support and collaboration. This shortlisting is a shared achievement.”
For over 30 years, the HEIST Awards have celebrated the excellence and innovation of everyone involved in education marketing, from regional colleges to global university brands. The winners will be announced at the Gala Awards evening on Thursday 10th July 2025 at the Royal Armouries, Leeds.
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