Cambridge LaunchPad Impact Report 2022-23

Impact Report

Accelerating STEM Diversity through Cambridge LaunchPad

2022-23

Welcome

to our 2022-23 Impact Report: Accelerating STEM Diversity

through

Cambridge

LaunchPad

Form the Future is incredibly proud to manage and deliver Cambridge LaunchPad. Life sciences and technology are experiencing rapid growth and it is crucial to challenge ideas about who can excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

By bringing together industry leaders, educational institutions, and aspiring young minds, Cambridge LaunchPad is reshaping the narrative on STEM careers.

Foreword

Cambridge LaunchPad brings students, from a variety of backgrounds, into an array of businesses and helps them to see how what they’re learning is used in the workplace. This report provides a summary of our impact. We showcase the achievements, milestones, and transformative outcomes resulting from our collaborative efforts.

Highlights for me were project days with new industry partners Ninja Theory, MathWorks, The Cambridge and Cambridge Design Partnership.

We are so grateful for the continued support of longstanding partners Marshall of Cambridge and TTP, as well as our many associate partners.

These unique and invaluable experiences open young minds to future possibilities, shaping their perspective and encouraging them to be open-minded.

Our doors are open to companies who want to get involved with Cambridge LaunchPad, and work with us to empower young people. Contact me to learn how you can inspire the next generation into STEM.

CEO, Form the Future @anneubailey

Commitee Partners Industry Partners

Our steering committee partners have been instrumental in driving the Cambridge LaunchPad programme to greater success. Their commitment to delivering highly valuable project days and STEM club resources has made a significant impact on the progammes outcomes and reach.

Through engaging project days and invaluable access to STEM fields, our industry partners have provided inspiring opportunities for young people.

Additional Support

Other Organisations

Understanding Flight with MathWorks

Focussing on the four forces which make it possible for aeroplanes to fly, (lift, weight, thrust, and drag), MathWorks hosted their first project day for 30 students from Sawston Village College, Coleridge Community College and Bottisham Village College in February.

The young people competed in teams to develop new planes. Their craft could be designed and built from any materials available. The flight results were judged by measuring the time, height loss and distance of their flights, with extra points for style, flair and the cheapest build.

The students observed how attaching paper clips to their planes affected the weight and the centre of gravity. Their results were entered into MATLAB software to discover the glide slope and speed, before tweaking and retesting to monitor improvement.

Chris Hayhurst

Having three different schools involved and competing against each other meant the MathWorks project day was full of excitement. The students engaged with the maths involved in flight and our team members really enjoyed helping them to learn something new.

Students commented, I learnt how maths can apply significantly in aircraft design.

I discovered that weight is very important in aircraft. And that one of the most important components in aircraft is size and materials.

Engineering and Innovation at Cambridge Design Partnership

At the Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) project day, students from St Bede’s Inter-Church School formed teams to develop eco-friendly, efficient, and reliable solar-powered ambulance designs.

Students began by designing the vehicles, budgeting for parts, and creating branding. Pitching their ideas to CDP judges, the teams received materials and equipment to build prototypes. The young participants worked hard to bring their designs to life, receiving assistance with soldering and machine cutting when needed.

Gathering outside for time trials, the prototypes were tested for speed and reliability while carrying liquid. Each group explained their approach and how they had fulfilled the brief. Vaxago’s vehicle design, which demonstrated innovation and careful planning and reliability, emerged as the winning entry.

Mark Parry – Graduate Design Engineer at Cambridge Design Partnership

The students approached the challenge with creativity, enthusiasm, and impressive technical know-how! Their problem-solving skills and tinkering ability were required to get the models working – which was great to see. [..] The CDP team all came away from the project day with huge smiles and we look forward to welcoming more students soon.

This inspiring project day promoted sustainable energy sources for transportation and fostered innovation among students.

A female student from St Bede’s Inter-Church School

I have always wanted to become an engineer. This has made me want to pursue this as a job even more.

Deliver hours spent with students in preparation for project days

unique and invaluable project days

To achieve of attracting a wider range of students into STEM careers, we have worked hard, with our partners to…

In 2022-23 Cambridge Launchpad had a

29

Schools from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough attended project days

on the lives of

6,081

students who engaged with the programme

989 students from 29 schools attended project days

of which 92.7% of Primary School students expressed that they had learnt something new And 98.3% of Secondary School students felt that they had learnt something new

12

Collaboration with Industry Partners to deliver unique, tailormade, project days

The feedback received from students was highly positive, with Primary Schools scoring 4.5 stars and Secondary Schools scoring 4.62 stars

Ninja Theory wows students with cuttingedge video technology

Students had an immersive learning experience at Ninja Theory, delving into video game creation.

Supported by the Ninja Theory team, twenty young participants had the opportunity to produce their own videos with customised environments, characters, visual effects (VFX), and self-created audio during a STEM project day in November.

They were introduced to Unreal Engine (UE), a powerful software for building simulations, editing videos, creating sound, and rendering animations. Additionally, the students had the chance to observe a scene being acted out in the motion capture studio for an upcoming game.

Participating schools included Swavesey Village College, Impington Village College, Coleridge Community College, and North Cambridge Academy, who commented:

It was very fun! I enjoyed learning about the environment art and seeing all the elements of game making – how animation and effects brought our scene to life.

Character Art Director, Dan Crossland shared what he hoped the students took from the project day:

I hope they were inspired. It’s just a glimmer into the components and the pieces that make up a game. If you can inspire them to delve more into each piece or whatever they find most interesting, then we’ve done our job.

The Cambridge connects Maths and Finance with ‘The Game of Life’

Year 9 students from four schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough came together to learn about financial planning, investing, mortgages, and the importance of making wise decisions at The Cambridge’s first project day in March.

To demonstrate the ups and downs of life, whilst gaining valuable knowledge and skills, the students played a game inspired by ‘The Game of Life’.

Each team were given an equal pot of money and were asked to decide if they would invest in property or investments, such as savings accounts and fixedrate bonds and ISAs. Next, the teams selected a career to pursue to help them fund their chosen lifestyle before they eventually retired.

Sophie Banks, Customer Engagement Team Leader and creator of the game said:

Financial education is crucially important to all, not just those considering a career in that field, so it felt like something that would prove useful to students of that age. I personally had no awareness about managing my finances or what options were really available to me as a career, so wanted to do something fun and engaging to help them think about the future.

One student from Sir Harry Smith Community College

I learnt about finance, money, maths, [...] and how to work well with others.

Another student commented, I enjoyed the interactive game because it was fun, and you got to understand different things like taxes and mortgages.

Accelerating STEM Diversity and Inspiring young minds through Cambridge LaunchPad for 2023-24

Looking ahead to the next academic year, the Steering Committee are filled with excitement and optimism based on the outcomes presented in our 2022-23 Impact Report: Accelerating STEM Diversity through Cambridge LaunchPad. The report highlights the impact of our collaborative approach, and how it is reshaping the narrative on STEM careers.

Our commitment to fostering diversity within STEM has made a positive impact on over 6,081 students, with 95% of primary school and 98% of secondary school students expressing that they have learnt something new. The feedback received from students has been highly positive, reflecting their enthusiasm and engagement and helping teachers demonstrate how STEM subjects can apply to many careers.

As we reflect on our achievements, we extend our gratitude to our longstanding partners and welcome new companies to join us in inspiring the next generation.

Together, we can continue to open young minds to future possibilities, shape perspectives, and encourage students to pursue STEM careers.

Let’s empower students, broaden their horizons, and create a brighter future for all young people through Cambridge LaunchPad.

Jade O’Kane

Chair of Steering Committee

Cambridge LaunchPad

Chief of Staff at Ninja Theory Ltd.