Transform Society Challenge

Our flagship programme, the Transform Society Challenge, supports universities and schools and colleges in creating bespoke community-problem-solving events that give students valuable practical experience of thinking about and addressing challenges in their locality.

Real-world issues

The Transform Society Challenge provides students with a framework for addressing community problems and the opportunity to work with peers and community stakeholders to examine both the causes and the impact of individual challenges and how they interrelate with other issues and local circumstances.

Creativity and teamwork

We give students the chance to independently identify, develop and refine their own solutions to a local challenge, and then present their ideas back to a panel of interested experts.

In delivering the Transform Society Challenge, we work closely with the faculties, departments and students from year 9 upwards to collaborate with local experts and stakeholders to address real-world local problems and develop innovative potential solutions.

Practical skills development

Students on the Transform Society Challenge develop and implement a wide range of valuable and transferable workplace skills, including:

Organisation
Time management
Communication
Teamwork
Initiative
Creativity
Negotiation
Presentation

We have run Transform Society Challenge events at a number of universities, schools, , and explored a range of issues including homelessness, the cost-of-living crisis, knife crime, carbon neutrality, and improving mental health. Over 2,000 students have taken part so far.

What students get out of it

One of the greatest obstacles to students’ understanding of public service is the difficulty in accessing relevant work experience. The Transform Society Challenge provides the perfect opportunity for students to gain direct exposure to a complex issue, meet professionals that work in the field and understand how the work of dedicated individuals and teams can have a genuine impact on people’s lives. In fact, several universities and sixth forms/colleges have included the Transform Challenge within their curricula as an alternative to work experience – some even award credits for taking part.

Through the challenge, students can explore career pathways that they might never have encountered before. They develop a broader understanding of how society works at a local level and how some people can be left behind.

The Transform Society Challenge is an opportunity for students to:

Work together with their university, school or college and local community on an important local issue
Build transferable skills to boost their career prospects by addressing societal issues and injustices
Explore the complexity of deep-rooted social issues, how to think about them and how to approach solutions
Get involved in something important, build friendships, listen, learn and have fun doing something practical
Feel the satisfaction of making a real difference to people and communities
Develop experience and skills to enhance their CV, LinkedIn profile and to discuss at interview with prospective employers