Our whole team was excited to participate in the recent Discover Imperial event, welcoming all new and returning students to campus and orienting them to our Change Maker mindset.
As part of the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication stand at the Discover Imperial event, the Change Makers team was on hand to help our students consider how they might use their Imperial education to create change in the world, via the process of lego manifestation.
Using lego to manifest change making futures
Our amazing team of Change Makers administrator Cleo, and teaching fellows Daisy Pataki and Mark Pope were on hand to help students consider how their education might provide opportunities and resources for our students to develop a Change Maker mindset and create changes – big and small – in the world around them.
The lego in action
Students were invited to make lego creations to represent that change, and photos of their creations were added to our Wall of Change.
Hybrid fortune telling
We also had our Change Makers Field Leader Elizabeth Hauke as a talking head live on Zoom to chat with students about their studies, their year to come and their hopes and dreams before telling their Change Makers fortune. Lots of incredible conversations took place, and 66 fortunes were told, appearing live on the big screen.
The live fortunes screen
Here are some of the fortunes that appeared on our big screen – you can scroll through them below.
Would we do this again?
We would definitely use these activities and this format again. We had such a great time and the activities were really engaging and fun. We were there six hours, but it really flew by.
It was such a pleasure to meet so many students, find out about their studies and hear about their change making aspirations.
Both the lego and the fortunes were powerful tools to engage our students with their learning, their lives and our Change Makers philosophy. We were really pleased to see students taking photos of their creations and their fortunes to share with friends and family.
It was also a real test to see how we could bring hybrid engagement to a live, in-person event.
I was a bit nervous to be stuck inside the laptop screen – a bit dependent on our on site team members to trouble shoot technology and keep me in mind in the heat of the event. However, it was also a real thrill being able to interact live with students in the room. I was amazed to be able to catch the eye of students across the room, and through a combination of waving, gestures and sheer will power, draw people through the crowds to come over, put on the headphones and start chatting with me. I will forever be fascinated by the power of a human wave to prompt a wave in reply, curiosity and a desire to engage in other people. I am very grateful for the assistance of the CLCC and Change Makers team in making this possible.
Elizabeth Hauke