London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF)

Social Impact Statements

The Social Enterprise Mark criteria includes a requirement that the applicant can demonstrate that social and/or environmental objectives are being achieved.

In support of this, new applicants and renewing Mark holders are asked to respond to a set of social impact questions, which are designed to help them think about the social impact they create, and to articulate this clearly and succinctly.

Updated March 2021

1) What are the main social differences you have aimed to make (or supported)?

The primary function of LIYSF CIC is to organise the annual London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). LIYSF provides benefit to students aged 16 - 21 years old that are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

LIYSF enables students in the pursuit of science for the benefit of all. Empowering passionate individuals and to facilitate capacity building. . LIYSF was started in 1959 with the idea of bringing young people from different nations together to learn about each other and our different cultures through a shared passion for science. LIYSF was formed in the aftermath of the world wars, placing equal focus on cultural understanding as well as science learning and discovery.

Our Social Improvement Goals:

• Education, with a focus on the application of knowledge for economic & social benefit
• Positive impact on individuals and through them on the world
• Empowerment in STEM. Enabling students to explore and fulfil individual potential
• Enabling students to acquire skills, confidence and knowledge
• Facilitate and showcase international collaboration
• Challenge students to think in new ways
• Encourage and enable networking
• Training in effective communication
• Cultural interaction to ensure open and informed world citizens

2) What actions have you taken to deliver the aims described above?

• Annual residential science enrichment programme
• 15-day programme with the latest science research, including, health, artificial intelligence, cyber security, sustainable food, energy, climate change, pandemics, nano- technology, engineering and robotics
• Next generation of the best young science students attend annual forum
• 500 students selected each year based on talent
• Students aged 16-21 years old attend from more than 70 countries
• 12 plenary lectures from Nobel prize Laureates, academic and industry pioneers
• 32 specialist lectures from leading researchers
• 50 visits to top university departments, research centres and industrial sites across the UK - including Oxford and Cambridge Universities and industrial sites, like Rolls Royce, Airbus and government facilities
• Deliver platform of young talent to bring ideas to tackle global challenges
• Most participants are supported to attend as prize winners of national and international science competitions. Many receive scholarships from educational bodies, schools and colleges, grants from institutions and funding from charitable foundations
• There is an active social calendar at LIYSF to facilitate interaction and sharing cultures, with 10 events in the programme. A vital part of LIYSF is about students teaching and learning about different cultures and traditions

In addition to our main services to all our students. We have undertaken specific projects to help achieve our social impact goals, which are targetted and specific to improving our social impact:

• In 2019 we gave over 70 scholarships to support students, ranging from partial to full financial support for students to attend LIYSF
• Work to empower female scientists, in 2019 50% of principal speakers were female and over half attending students were female.
• Work to have students from Africa attending the event, working in partnership with partner charities to have 9 students from 6 African countries in 2019.
• Facilitate indigenous attendance, with initiative in conjunction with the Royal Society of New Zealand since 2017 to support a Maori student LIYSF.

3) What has changed, what specific outcomes and benefits have been realised as a result of the above actions?

We have connected 22,000 students over 60 years. We are looking to provide an enrichment opportunity, particularly to students who would not normally have access to such opportunities.

We have a raft of success stories of our alumni going to change the world and be inspired in science as a result of attending LIYSF, please see our impact report for alumni details (pg.9), testimonials (pg.11) and reports/spotlights (appendixes).

Individual students are empowered after attending LIYSF, but also return to their home communities as science ambassadors and give presentations in their home communities to champion the importance of STEM education and opportunities.

Our activity connects key partners with talented youth, leading to attending students going on to study and work in the UK as a result of attending our programme.

Partners included in our programme, for example the British Council attend and make presentations to students direclty to promote international opportunities available to students.

Networks are formed and supported. Through LIYSF we connect students with peers globally, to world leading scientists and organisations. Students and partners benefit.

Schools benefit by promoting opportunities in their community of excellence in STEM and an international experience.

4) Please describe how your income and/or any profits generated from previous years has been maximised in delivering social outputs and adding social value.

We run a tight operation as all our income is generated from the participation fee revenune. We use the surplus to help fund our scholarship programme, which in 2019 meant we were able to provide 14 full scholarships and 59 partial scholarships to support disadvantaged students to attend. A full scholarship provides £2,195 support per student and a partial scholarship provides £400 per student.

Supplementary details

The below questions are not mandatory, but Mark holders are encouraged to answer them where possible, to provide a fuller account of their social outcomes and the social value they create.

5) How do you and other people know your aims are being achieved? Or how will you know?

Please see our social impact report. We set objectives for our social activities, that are measured annually. We survey students that attend. We publish our (now) annual social impact report and invite stakeholders for feedback.

We are looking to help to help evaluate and measure our social impact more effectively (build quantative data) and will look to build upon this in our reports, which will enable our stakeholders to give feedback (as comparative data will be built - both for comparing impact over years, but also against "similar" organisations).