Meet the SEED Change-makers: how students are driving social impact at 91直播
What happens when students are given the space, support, and encouragement to take action on the issues they care most about?
At The University of Manchester鈥檚 School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED), the answer is: they thrive as Change-makers.
The SEED Change-makers programme is a growing student-led initiative that鈥檚 empowering undergraduates and postgraduates to create meaningful change 鈥� within the University, in the community, and around the world. Launched two years ago, the programme gives students the tools, confidence and platform to turn passion into action while gaining recognition and real-world experience along the way.
And it's just getting started.
From inspiration to action
The idea for SEED Change-makers came from Professor Nicola Banks, SEED鈥檚 Director of Social Responsibility, who saw how students in the Global Development Institute (GDI) were contributing to One World Together 鈥� a social enterprise born out of her research. Seeing their drive and commitment, she asked a powerful question:
"What if we stopped thinking of students only as future changemakers 鈥� and started supporting them to be changemakers today?"
The programme that followed invites students from across SEED鈥檚 five departments 鈥� Architecture, Geography, Global Development, Education, and Planning and Environmental Management 鈥� to lead, collaborate and innovate on social responsibility projects that matter to them.
What do SEED Change-makers do?
Over its first two years, the programme has engaged over 150 SEED students through Social Responsibility World Caf茅s and Change-maker working groups 鈥� spaces for collaborative discussion, reflection, and action on social and environmental issues.
These student-led events and conversations have reached over 600 attendees in person, with further impact through recorded content that continues to be shared across online platforms and teaching contexts, extending their influence beyond the University and across time zones.
From inspiring peers to informing future students and being used as real-world teaching tools, the Change-maker programme is helping amplify student voices and embed social responsibility more deeply into the culture of SEED.
Recognised impact
SEED Change-makers is formally accredited through the University鈥檚 , meaning students who take part have their contributions recognised on their Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), an official transcript that adds value to graduate job and study applications.
Student-led events
Students have organised impactful lectures, workshops, and campaigns, including:
- A conversation with , author of Citizens, on what it means to be an engaged, empowered citizen (November 2023) Watch:
- A celebration of 30 years of Fairtrade, with panel guests from academia, co-operatives, and the UK Fairtrade movement. Watch: 鈥� (October 2024)
- A talk by Anshu Gupta, founder of Indian social enterprise Goonj, on rethinking charity and sustainable community support (November 2024) Read:
Working groups creating change
Students have led dedicated groups tackling real-world challenges:
- Sustainability at move-out: Addressing waste left behind in student accommodation by helping students donate, recycle and rethink their move-out habits as part of the campaign.
- Supporting social enterprise: A team of GDI students co-organised a major fundraising event for , raising over 拢1,700 to support marginalised communities globally.
Student voices, real impact
Beyond the events and projects, the real story of SEED Change-makers is the personal growth it inspires.
Students describe gaining leadership skills, confidence, new networks, and a deeper connection to their studies and their values. They鈥檙e discovering their ability to lead social change, not in the distant future, but right now.
Here鈥檚 how Laura Acosta Varon, one of our student leaders, put it:
鈥淚t makes me very proud to represent my home and country, Colombia. I鈥檓 so excited for the future of One World Together 鈥� and here鈥檚 to many more years of impact, trust, solidarity, and collaboration!鈥�
Looking ahead: building a bigger movement
As the programme moves into its third year, SEED is investing in a more structured, sustainable model co-designed with students.
Two undergraduates, Saniyyah Ali and Haojun Shuai, are spending the summer of 2025 researching what social responsibility means to their peers and helping to shape a new student handbook. From 2025/26, students will be supported through a semester-based journey of discovery, collaboration, and project delivery, with more ways to get involved at every stage of the student experience.
Get Involved
- Students: Interested in becoming a SEED Change-maker? You can find more information on your SEED Students Community Pages
- Staff: Want to support or collaborate with SEED Change-makers? Reach out to your departmental social responsibility representative to find out how you can get involved.
- Supporters: Want to help us grow the programme? We welcome partnerships, mentoring, and funding opportunities that enable student-led impact. Please contact sr.seed@manchester.ac.uk