WINCHESTER COLLEGE CATALYST’s International Ripple Effect: one change project, one community at a time Winchester College’s CATALYST initiative has a clear goal: to help young people to become active change-makers in their communities. Through our Foundations and Horizons programmes, we coach pupils from around the world to develop Change Projects that, so far, have affected positive change in over 23 countries worldwide — one community at a time. A SPARK IN ETHIOPIA Joining CATALYST from Ethiopia, Elizabeth wanted to address the energy poverty afflicting 55% of her country’s populace. Backed by the knowledge and the global outlook acquired in the CATALYST Horizons programme, she devised a project that taps into the raw power of lightning, to generate electricity that could provide energy to rural communities. Channeling the potential of naturally occurring phenomena into a force for good is no small feat. Through a meticulous and analytical process — honed by the critical thinking exercises embedded in the CATALYST curriculum — she is on a path to unravel the mechanics of converting lightning into a sustainable energy source, exploring modern techniques such as laserinduced plasma channels (LIPC).
“I have started thinking critically, become more aware of the world around me, become more hopeful about my generation, and feel so accomplished that I am doing something.” ELISABETH, ETHIOPIA
INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, GLOBAL IMPACT Within a vibrant network that stretches across more than 20 countries, CATALYST students like Elisabeth are encouraged to create projects that are anchored in complex, real-world problems, and transcend traditional academic boundaries. Their collective efforts form a global mosaic of Change Projects each with a commitment to community uplift. Elisabeth’s Change Project is a tangible display of what happens when young individuals apply their knowledge, innovating and adapting to carve out pathways of substantial, influential change. It stands as a testimony to the meaningful change that can be achieved when young minds are given the space to innovate. Elizabeth’s Change Project paints a picture of the potential held in educated young minds, ready to shape their communities and, perhaps, even influence greater landscapes globally. Through CATALYST, the learning journeys of international students converge in a collaborative framework, promoting shared progress and underscoring the mutual growth of global communities and aspiring young minds — one project, one community at a time.
31
