ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.

UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT ESPERANÇA FRANCISCA MONTEIRO HENSON, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
University of Kansas | Kansas, United States | Advancing SDG 10, SDG 4, SDG 16, SDG 17 & UNAI 1

" Brainstorming and inventiveness are the traits that guide my academic and professional journey. Such characteristics influence my decision-making process towards philanthropic initiatives and social agency. The guidance and support provided by the Millennium Fellowship will enhance these characteristics, which will assist in the future of my social project to combat homelessness. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Fighting Youth Homelessness at KU
The city of Lawrence, KS, currently struggles with an uncontrollable homelessness crisis that is affecting all its inhabitants. Across town, multiple individuals lack a home, suffer from the extreme temperature fluctuations of the Midwest, and depend on the charity of good-hearted souls to maintain their survival. With this tragic situation in mind, I enhanced a project I developed during high school: using container houses to combat homelessness. After extensive research regarding those types of residences, I discovered that container houses are an affordable and sustainable solution to temporarily assist those currently dealing with housing loss and consequently guide them to get their lives "back on track." The project would consist of two phases: the first would occur through the financial sponsoring of local shelters for the construction and subsequent relocation of the willing homeless population to the new container houses (the program would blossom through mass volunteering and donations). The final stage would expand to the local level by receiving direct financial support from the municipal government, which would be able to assist with employment opportunities and temporary welfare for those rebuilding their lives. If successful, the plan could inspire other cities and counties across Kansas to perform similar procedures.
About the Millennium Fellow
Esperança Francisca Monteiro Henson is a determined student pursuing a double major in History and Political Science with a double minor in Geography and Business at the University of Kansas. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but currently resides in the United States, precisely in Lawrence, KS, which represents her global background. From a young age, Esperança wanted to fight against the inequalities she routinely witnessed in her native country. Throughout her academic journey, she decided to use her learning towards her ultimate goal: to work as a conscious and empathetic politician, promoting meaningful changes to society's inequities.












