Inspiring future stars

27 Oct 2016

A new communications campaign is encouraging Manchester students to 'stellify'.

In September 2016, the University launched a new initiative encouraging all Manchester students to participate in some of our most exciting and developmental extra- and co-curricular activities – fulfilling our priority objective to "articulate the distinctiveness of the Manchester student experience via a named package" in our Communications and Marketing Plan.

Stellify – meaning 'to change, or be changed, into a star' – highlights opportunities for true personal and professional change and growth. These opportunities reflect Manchester’s commitment to social responsibility and our positive relationships with graduate employers, industry leaders and diverse communities at a local and global level.

Five attributes, one award

Stellify challenges students to undertake a transformational journey outside of their degree that will help them to develop five key attributes displayed by Manchester’s most successful graduates: embracing learning without boundaries; understanding the issues that matter; making a difference; stepping up; and thinking about their future.

A key activity for new undergraduates is the Manchester Leadership Award, which enables students to work across disciplines to tackle major global issues in our Ethical Grand Challenges, while developing new skills and greater confidence through undertaking volunteering work and taking on roles of responsibility within their communities.

Campaign communications

A student-facing Stellify microsite offers inspiration and guidance on relevant activities for different students, including co-curricular opportunities such as international and interdisciplinary course units, and our multitude of student volunteering experiences.

Various working groups have been set up to take the Stellify campaign forward, including a communications group chaired by Head of University Marketing Terry Hudghton. Proposals include developing a Stellify toolkit containing logos, key messages and a presentation, to be made available to staff across the University.

Early successes

Thousands of new undergraduates took their first step on the journey to stellification during Welcome week by taking part in the Sustainability Challenge, where they worked in teams to create a fictional sustainable campus that was both energy-efficient and sensitive to the needs of the local community.

The campaign continued at Justfest: The Volunteering and Social Justice Festival, which sought to inspire around 5,000 attending students to take action in their communities by exploring aspects of social justice in a creative environment.

Find out more

Visit the Stellify project page for further details. 

If you have any questions about Stellify or the Manchester Leadership Award, please email stellify@manchester.ac.uk.