Search Results

“We do not need magic to change the world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better.” - JK Rowling Thank you for speaking with us today. Kindly introduce yourself and share a little bit about your Millennium Fellowship project. "My name is Sean Alexander, a graduating business administration student from Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I am super passionate about the intersection of business, technology, and policy and enacting change through partnerships. That’s why during the Millennium Fellowship I focused on SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals to help utilize partnerships to create an SDG hackathon. My project “ImpactHack" is the first of its kind SDG Hackathon focused on bringing together policy and technology, both computer science and engineering. We had over 200 students signed up from 13 countries including South Korea, China, Greece, Nigeria, Zambia, India, Bangladesh, Canada, and Kenya with students in the US from Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Purdue, and more. We have students excited to combine both their policy and technology interests into one hackathon, one solution. With financial support from our campus partners, the Georgia Institute of Technology Sustainable-X Program, the School of Public Policy, the Ray C. Anderson Center of Sustainable Business, and the Georgia Tech Parents Fund, we were able to make the event happen seamlessly! We had over 16 submissions across our tracks where we invited agencies, nonprofits, corporations, and other organizations to sponsor a track within areas of gender equality, sustainability, urban planning, education, and more! We even had Teach for America help sponsor a track." That's spectacular, congratulations on your impact. The Emerging Technologist vertical within the Millennium Fellowship was launched last year. How was your experience as an Emerging Technologist? "It was a great experience getting to have the resources, programming, and support from both the main program and the tech vertical. Jasmine, the community manager, has been phenomenal with being able to support and her willingness to work with us in potentially shaping the program for the students. It’s exciting to know that the Millennium fellowship has recognized and is empowering technologists to be able to create a social impact. "It’s exciting to know that the Millennium fellowship has recognized and is empowering technologists to be able to create a social impact." What problem does your project try to solve, and how does it do that? I was able to partner with Startup Exchange, the largest student-led nonprofit entrepreneurial network and incubator in the United States Southeast, to help solve a few problems. One is connecting students, innovators, nonprofits, agencies, corporations, and all stakeholders into the conversation of building solutions. We were able to do this by intentionally designing the event to invite these stakeholders together to create impact together, similar to the 17 Rooms Initiative. Secondly, we worked to introduce interdisciplinary teams and concepts between technology and policy. We acknowledge that solutions for the future require multiple disciplines and that by bringing students of various backgrounds together, not only did we get students excited to create solutions but also energized to work with students from different backgrounds to amplify their impact and potential solutions. I wanted to create the concept of innovation for the future and social impact by bringing policy and technology students together. We understand that solutions for global challenges have to be interdisciplinary and have to include stakeholders from all across. We were able to not only have a great event, but also gain support from our partners to continue this in the future! "We now have more students interested in interdisciplinary solutions and who understand that policy and technology innovation goes hand in hand when it comes to building solutions for the future." We had a group of three first-year students create Algasphere, a CAD 3D designed and printed solution meant to help collect algae in fish farms to prevent algae pollution and harm. It was amazing to see young students not just passionate about social change and applying what they learned in class, but also actually developing the solution in real life. We partnered with the MILL, Georgia Tech’s Material Science and Engineering Makerspace to allow them to 3D print their prototype!" What were the biggest challenges you faced in implementing your project, and how did you overcome them? "The biggest challenge was coordinating everything. I was blessed to have the support and partnership with Startup Exchange (SX) to help host the hackathon with me (I’m one of the executive co-directors of SX). I had a wonderful team coordinating over 200 students both online and in-person, plus workshops, over 10 different track submissions, about 15 judges with hybrid judging, meals for 3 days and t-shirts for the weekend. It was challenging to make such a quality event, from logistics to marketing and design all the way to fundraising and finances. By properly working with and leading the team, we were able to make the event a success!" Amazing. And lastly, how did being a Millennium Fellow contribute to your achievements as far as your project goes? "The fellowship helped me understand how to frame the work we did and challenged us to understand how to better bring people together to make this happen and truly have an impact towards the sustainable development goals." We are already working to develop a committee of students, campus partners, and other stakeholders to help build out next year’s hackathon. All of our campus partners have recommitted to hosting next year’s hackathon." Connect with Sean on LinkedIn. Millennium Fellowship Alumni, you can also share your story with the community. Reach out here: (alumni@mcnpartners.org)

Aakarshi Srivastava and Anubhava Singla, Millennium Fellows from the University of Delhi South Campus, were selected to join the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Investment Forum as speakers. This year, the UNCTAD World Investment Forum prioritized sustainable development investment to address global challenges. The two Millennium Fellows had the opportunity to network with world leaders and representatives from various organizations around the world. Speaking about her experience at the UNCTAD and World Investment Forum, Aakarshi stated, “It was a privilege to rub shoulders with world leaders. The conversations and sessions around the social impact sector inspired me the most. ” For Anubhava, the conference was, “a unique and enriching experience, where I interacted with policymakers, academics, and other youth delegates. I learned from their experiences.” "Empowering change begins at the roots of society - Aakarshi" At the conference, Aakarshi Srivastava had the opportunity to meet world leaders who inspired her to dedicate herself to creating social impact. The United Nations Secretary General's Youth Climate Advisor, Joice Mendez, inspired Aakarshi with her work and involvement in the social impact space. "I had the privilege of meeting several world leaders, including the United Nations Secretary General's Climate Advisor. Her optimism and the encouragement she expressed left a lasting impact on my commitment to the field of social impact. During our conversation, I discussed both the Millennium Fellowship and my project. She was delighted to learn about my initiative .In fact, she recently did a webinar for my project.” Aakarshi's passion is to advocate for public policy and social impact. She believes her journey in the realm of public policy reflects her unwavering commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Aakarshi says she has had a deep desire to help reshape her world into a better place for all with impactful leadership since she was a young girl. “I believe that I am incredibly passionate, ambitious, and disciplined, with a strong desire to be a positive change-maker in the world.” Millennium Fellowship Impact: A Transformative Influence Intending to increase awareness about the social impact space among youth, Aakarshi founded her Millennium Fellowship project “The Conscious Capstone,” a web platform that provides opportunities for individuals engaged in the social impact space to share their experiences and access more information about it. She aims to make the social impact space more accessible for youths. “As a university student, I noticed that a lot of people in my community don't know about social impact space and the opportunities that lie in this domain. I realized the problem lies in a lack of awareness. So we tried to raise awareness and help youth access opportunities and learn more about the social impact space through our platform, The Conscious Capstone.” “The Millennium Fellowship has empowered me with knowledge in the domain of social impact. The necessary tools that the Fellowship provides, and the inspiration from the global webinar speakers has made me believe that I can change the status quo as well.” Aakarshi says she believes the unique exposure and training opportunities provided by the fellowship have helped shape her project more profoundly. The valuable network and inspiration Aakarshi gained from interacting with others in the program, has helped Aakarshi in her journey. “It is always inspiring to learn about social impact from the leaders around the world and in your community; the challenges that they overcome and their achievements. The Millennium Fellowship has given me a network of people who are trying to achieve similar goals. This collaborative environment within the fellowship helped us to make contributions to each other's projects. Being the campus director for my cohort was a cherry on the cake, as it helped me hone my leadership abilities. At the end of the day, these bonds that I have created within my cohort and around the world have given me much-needed motivation and inspiration.” Expressing her wish to continue working on her project, she is looking forward to addressing more pain points by leveraging the idea of innovative simplicity. Aakarshi says, "I want to continue working on my project after the Fellowship and try to establish it as a credible source of inspiration for those looking to make a difference. My goal is to encourage more people to pursue impactful and meaningful careers, and I'm eager to see more youth engage in social impact initiatives. I'm committed to assisting in any way I can to help any individual make an impact.” Anubhava Singla's Reflections: “Real Impact cannot be measured tangibly, it lies in giving voice to the ideas and opinions of individuals dedicatedly working in the social impact space.” Anubhava Singla, a Millennium Fellow from the University of Delhi passionate about sustainability and development economics, also attended the UNCTAD World Youth Form. Sharing his reflections from the conference, Anubhava says: “I was excited to learn about energy transition at the conference. Many people are dependent on non-renewable energy resources for their daily income. When meeting energy stakeholders at the conference, I tried to convey why just transition should form an integral part of the complete energy transition process and through my project, I also hope to contribute to it.” Anubhava started his Millennium Fellowship project “Vriksh” (Trees) which emphasizes the benefits of tree plantation in India. “I hope to explore the role of NGOs, the government, and the private sector in increasing forest cover in India. I recognize how ambitious this project is, but as young leaders ambition is all we have. My project is divided into two halves. First I have written a research paper that explores the problem and the reason behind it. Secondly, I hope to build upon this research and try to address the information gap between the government and the NGOs/ Companies. Inspiring Millennium Fellowship Experiences: Reflecting on his time in the Millennium Fellowship, Anubhava shared how the program contributed to his growth as a leader by fostering introspection and providing valuable learning experiences from other young leaders. “During our bi-weekly training sessions, the Fellowship curriculum invited us to think about what we have done and how we could make our projects better. Even though this was only a small part of the whole experience, it really stayed with me and because of that, I could say the Millennium Fellowship has been an inspiring experience for me. It has also provided me with the credibility that my project needed and helped me to form meaningful connections in the social impact space." Get in touch with Anubhava on LinkedIn. Get in touch with Aakarshi on LinkedIn. Millennium Fellows and alumni, want to share your story with the community? Email us here: fellowship@mcnpartners.org

By: Melody Nguyen, Class of 2023 Millennium Fellow and Emerging Technologist "Can any young woman make it to the United Nations?" It's a question I have always asked myself, and the answer is a resounding yes. Any young woman can make it to the United Nations, starting with a spark of curiosity about the world around us and the confidence in herself to take action. I'm Melody Nguyen, a sophomore at Pace University Pforzheimer Honors student currently studying Digital Marketing and Business Analytics in New York City. I have hopes to see a future where young women in underdeveloped countries have equal access to educational resources as other women in more developed countries. This vision has led me to embark on my UN Fellowship project focusing on creating open-source learning materials for students in communities disproportionately affected by economic inequalities. My Role: Guiding the Next Generation: I am currently leading as a UN Millennium Fellowship Campus Director, guiding a cohort of 15 Pace University Student Founders who are part of the Millennium Fellowship, a United Nations-sponsored global network of over 4,000 undergraduates pursuing careers in sustainable development. My Journey My interest in social activism ignited during my junior year of high school when I immersed myself in my AP World History class. Learning about different cultures, the history of revolutions, historical figures, and the struggle of certain groups of people throughout history sparked the journey that led me to where I am today. Being part of my high school Model United Nations (MUN) team, I realized economic inequality restricts young girls in the least-developed countries. Amid the 2019 pandemic, I saw the world as a bigger place than just one person or one nation where if we all come together to solve a global problem we create change. This was when I decided a platform was needed to help other women living in less ideal environments. It was amazing to see that there are so many wonderful young women and men who do care at my school. Throughout the summer, the Women Empowerment Organization was formed with a network of 50 activists working to build a social media platform to connect people and share our experiences. This was where I learned to develop video content and experienced the invaluable skills of managing the club as President. As it happened, this experience shaped my decision to major in Marketing Analytics in college. Last summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Stanford University’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory where I helped develop a website to bring awareness, accessibility, and implementation of renewable energy. Within the Millennium Fellowship, I'm forging connections between my current work and the Santa Teresa High School’s Women Empower Organization to cultivate leadership opportunities for the next generation. Inspiration often springs from the most unexpected places, and for me, it came from the pages of history, the clubs at my high school, and the collaborative spirit of my college campus My Experience at the United Nations: On September 22, 2023, I was privileged to be invited as a delegate to the United Nations SDG Action Weekend and the Brookings' 17 Rooms Session in New York City. It was an incredible experience to be recognized as a youth leader by the Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and to have the opportunity to speak among diverse global stakeholders at the U.N. SDG Pavilion Following the U.N.’s SDG midpoint summit, we explored how the 17 Rooms approach empowers communities worldwide to take the SDGs into their own hands. While in the beautiful indoor garden, I finally got to meet mentors, Abby Canels and Noha Khalqi, who support and inspire college students advocating for sustainable development. The space filled with pride and hope as Noha spoke of MCN's mission for young activists. As eloquently stated in the opening session by Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, "It is about leaders in every space doing what they can do to change the world, to save the planet." Her words excite and encourage me to be part of that change. I have listened to numerous personal stories from passionate and intelligent women such as Hawaii Youth Activist Celeste Connors and U.N.’s Biodiversity Expert Di Zhang, who have shown me that any and all efforts we make are worthwhile if we can help each other in the long run. It is opportunities like these that empower students like me to take our goals to a global scale. Discovering the Millennium Fellowship: I connected with the Millennium Fellowship through my college campus' special program coordinator, Dr. Sue Maxam. She is the sweetest and most supportive woman I have ever spoken to. As soon as I saw “United Nations,” I couldn't resist writing my application. I'd always dreamt of witnessing first-hand how global leaders worked together. After encouragement from my caring Professor Chris Ramos, a round of applications, and an interview, I was selected as Campus Director and Emerging Technologist for my project. My goal is to create an online learning program where teachers and students can connect remotely to share experiences. Developing a website that offers virtual tutoring, mentorship, academic guidance, and career services for women worldwide. If you're interested in making a difference through the Women Empowerment project, consider contributing to our Educational Equity Fundraiser, where every donation directly benefits these programs. Your support would be greatly appreciated and invaluable to our cause! Connecting with Fellow Millennium Alums: On September 18, 2023, I had the honor to attend the United Nations General Assembly for the SDG Action Weekend. There, I had the opportunity to do an Instagram takeover, explore the UN Headquarters, and interview amazing leaders such as Africa’s People Empowering People Director, Melvine Wajiri. Guided by the question, "What is one word of encouragement you would give to aspiring young leaders?" I received immense enthusiasm with answers like taking action into our own hands, being open-minded, and utilizing the technology we have around us. Inspiration often springs from the most unexpected places, and for me, it came from the pages of history, the clubs at my high school, and the collaborative spirit of my college campus. I've seen education and technology break barriers for young women. My experience at the SDG Action Weekend strengthened my commitment, and with the support of the Millennium Network, I look forward to inspiring positive change. Together, we can create a future where every young woman, regardless of her background, thrives with access to quality education. Melody Nguyen is a Class of 2023 Millennium Fellow from Pace University, USA. She is also an Emerging Technologist and serves as Campus Director of her Fellowship cohort. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

This year we asked Millennium Fellowship alumni to share what SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) means to them. Over the next 4 weeks, Alumni will unpack what partnerships they leveraged to make their Social Impact work successful. They'll explore partnerships with their schools, peers, and communities, then share recommendations on how young people can create and navigate meaningful partnerships to create social change in their communities. "The 2022 Millennium Fellowship has broadened my views on how I perceive the world. By expanding my project and utilizing multiple partnerships, I gained a better understanding of how to bring people from across the university together in collaboration in which we share interests like mental health advocacy. The fellowship has not only helped me expand my network, it also provided me with a chance to learn from others. I’m passionate about facilitating collaboration and an inclusive workplace where members feel a sense of purpose and belonging. In this article, I describe how my journey presents the dynamics and mechanics of effective partnership from four perspectives: partnership with the school system, teammates, community, and peers." - Ariel Zhao, New York University Partnership with School: My journey with the Millennium Fellowship began in December 2020, when New York City was abnormally silent during the Covid-19 pandemic. I found out about the Millennium Fellowship Program in the New York University newsletter and was compelled to apply after reading about Fellows' projects and their work in advancing the SDGs. However, I have to admit that I was a little uncertain of the feasibility for me to expand the project to a scale with the current resources. With a passion for working with youth and mental health, I would like to create a community-based project to increase awareness of mental health conditions among adolescents. In a world that is constantly evolving, forcing many children to grow up fast, I am eager to create a comfortable zone for adolescents to have open discussions on mental health and get access to the support they need. With the help of my NYU advisor, I got recommendation letters and successfully submitted my application on time. Fortunately, in early August 2021, I was informed that my application was accepted. I was thrilled to start planning the recruitment of teammates. I reached out to my advisor Dr. de Leon to see if she could help me spread the word among the Silver School of Social Work. Dr. de Leon posted the news on multiple social media platforms which efficiently reached a large group of students. Without the help of Dr.de Leon, it would have been hard for me to reach like-minded individuals within my major. As an international student, I cherish diversity and hope to engage students of different backgrounds. I value creativity and brainstorming within a team and believe it would be a great opportunity for everyone to learn. To achieve that goal, I reached out to the Departments of Psychology, Global Public Health, Applied Psych and CAMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Studies) and reached out to mental health-related clubs on campus. It wasn’t an easy task in the beginning, since I needed to schedule meetings with all supervisors and most were unavailable. With much effort, I eventually recruited enough teammates to start the project. One recommendation is that it would help super-motivated students to have better practices with a specific advisory panel that manages and shares resources on campus. Partnership with Teammates : In order to ensure a safe and accepting space for all the members to feel included and clear in their roles, I hosted seminars within the group once per week. I believe in encouraging teammates to utilize their strengths, so I make a list of roles with the skills needed and clear expectations for them to choose from. For example, teammates can choose different positions for each workshop that they participate in. We have positions such as lecturers, who are responsible for creating presenting content; we have a student administrator who manages emails, meetings and social media; we also have leaders to focus on other administrative work such as recording, managing breakout rooms, etc. Creating a spontaneous and creative work environment makes me feel like my teammates are more committed and motivated to their roles. From my experience, I realized that not only does it take effort to recruit people that would fit the expectations for the project, managing this partnership with teammates is also very crucial and challenging sometimes We communicate regularly through group chats and have discussions to reach compromise when tackling disagreements or other types of challenging situations. I believe transparent communication and empathetic leadership skills are key in regard to maintaining partnerships with team members. Partnership with Community: As the founder of the initiative, my fundamental role was outreach to potential community partners and negotiating a collaboration agreement with their supervisors. At first, I contacted a previous learning center where I tutored. After my call with the director, we had a mutual agreement to collaborate for our first workshop on “social media’s effect on body dysmorphia.” Even though I was able to find a partner in the community, I faced lots of challenges along the way while looking for partnerships. This might be something that I hope to get more assistance with. We partnered with the same learning centre for two workshops in total. In addition to our media workshop, we hosted a second one on positive psychology. By designing flyers, PowerPoint presentations, and improving communication, we reached double the audience for the second workshop compared to the previous one. I love that we work towards one goal as a whole team and consistently push the progress forward. As an undergraduate student, I lacked the resources to persuade community partners that collaborating would be mutually beneficial. Partnership with Peers: Talking about how we decided on the topics, we conducted short anonymous surveys with peers. Since our peers are all undergraduate students, we would let them reflect on how they felt at adolescent age and what struggles they saw most often in themselves and in their peers. This experience reveals that partnership with peers can contribute a more macro perspective on shared advocacy and community service. It helps us dive deeper into the market of target audiences. One concern was about predictability, in which the answers from college students might not correctly reveal the thoughts of today’s adolescents. The data was not right for the targeted demographics, since we are aiming for pre-college students, but we ended up researching among college peers. Society evolves faster than we expected, so I would most likely choose to research adolescents instead to convey a more accurate tendency in the future. Author: Ariel Zhao. Ariel is a Class of 2021 Millennium Fellowship alumnus and student at New York University pursuing a B.S. in Social Work. As a Fellow, Ariel and her team ran 'ENGAGE', a community-based project spreading awareness about adolescent mental health conditions in New York. Learn more.

Onyinye Omenugha is a Nnamdi Azikiwe University law school graduate, currently studying to join the Nigerian bar. She describes herself as a social innovator, a passionate SDG 4 advocate, and a committed changemaker. Her social impact work has earned widespread recognition, including the National Changemaker’s award from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Networks, 30 Under 30 Rising Stars of the Legal Profession in Nigeria, 25 Under 25 Awards in Education, SuperWoman Under 30 Awards and Leadership Icon of the year award. She has also been recognised as a Queen's Commonwealth Trust Young Leader, a Theirworld Global Youth Ambassador, and most recently, a Princess Diana Awardee. This award is established in honour of Princess Diana to recognise young people working to develop and inspire positive change in communities worldwide. ‘I hope to inspire other young people, particularly Millennium Fellows, to make them see all that is possible when they passionately pursue their visions’. Onyinye shares that she has been interested in social activism since she was a young girl. "I've always been that girl. My first act of activism happened when I was about 11. I studied at a remote community primary school in my village which did not have a culture of recognising and rewarding outstanding students. When I graduated and moved to a missionary secondary school, I realised how much positive reinforcement meant to young people who showcase potential for excellence in academics, sports and more. It was clear to me that students generally perform better when they feel seen and appreciated. So during my school break, I returned to my primary school and worked with teachers and students to establish an award-giving day, a tradition that continues till today. I’ll always remember how proud this minor act of initiative made me feel.” At Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Onyinye served in multiple leadership positions, including as Zonal Director of the Law Association Students of Nigeria. While serving in this role, she had an experience which she says set her down the path of SDG 4-centred, social impact work. “As Zonal Director I coordinated projects for law students and hosted regional conventions where key players in the legal industry mentored university students. While doing this work, I met a law student with a disability who confided in me all the challenges he faced in law school, ranging from lack of resources, discrimination, lack of opportunities, and more. We appointed him as the first zonal representative for law students with disabilities, enabling him to advocate for other differently-abled undergraduates. But I still felt that I needed to do more. Around that time I learned about the Millennium Fellowship. Something about the social impact training and support in implementing a community impact project deeply resonated, so I applied and created the Fellowship project, ‘LawsanAid’.” Through Lawsanaid, Onyinye and her team work to ensure law and aspiring law students with disabilities in Africa enjoy quality education in line with the UN SDG 4. They provide support in law school applications, advocacy for inclusivity, and tuition scholarships. The initiative has since been registered in Nigeria as ‘Law Students with Disabilities Aid’. “What we’ve been able to achieve since the Millennium Fellowship is beyond my wildest dreams. The training and mentorship I received during the Fellowship were crucial, from the social impact speakers, my incredible cohort and program alumni. We convened a continental network of Lawsanaid ambassadors across Africa, from Ghana, Zambia, Morocco, Kenya and more, all of who are helping advance our mission of making law schools equal access areas for students with disabilities. We also collected data on law students with disabilities across various campuses, organised competitions and training, and hosted webinars, seminars, and more. We also provide free legal lessons to students in the network as they prepare for their final exams (Called JAMB in Nigeria)." Asked about her proudest achievement through the Millennium Fellowship project 'Lawsanaid', Onyinye pinpoints two which are particularly close to her heart; “Over the last two years, we had to learn the ropes when it came to fundraising because we knew the most major challenge differently-abled students were facing was a lack of resources to take themselves through law school. We’ve since been lucky to secure several modest grants, enabling us to pay one student’s entire law school fees and provide them with a reasonable stipend. We’ve also secured a sponsor who supports another student through his studies.” As a result of this work, Lawsanaid won the Global SDG innovative challenge hosted by the Dubai Government last year. Onyinye sees this as just the beginning of a long career in social impact. “I am thankful to the Millennium Fellowship because if it wasn’t for the platform it provided me, none of this would have been possible. As a Fellowship applicant, I was challenged to create a Project idea, think critically about my SMART goals and formulate an actual plan. During the program, the open-door style of leadership inspired me. There was a lot of support from the network, and interacting with the leadership and other campus directors helped me sharpen my leadership and organising skills. Overall, just being within an ecosystem of youth change-makers helps spur you to action. Fast-forward two years and now we are present in multiple countries, solving a niche problem, and helping young disabled Africans apply for and go through law school. After receiving the Diana Award, Onyinye hopes their work will continue expanding and supporting differently-abled students in need. “This work is far from over. According to the WHO, out of 8 billion people in the world, 1.3 billion people experience a significant disability. The question now is what will we do as young people to make this the most inclusive generation? I hope to be at the forefront of that conversation. Connect with Onyinye on LinkedIn. Alumni, share updates on your project and career with the community. Email: (alumni@mcnpartners.org)

Last month, a delegation of 15 Millennium Fellows attended the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the United Nations in New York. The Forum was co-organized by the ECOSOC president, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the UN Youth Envoy to provide a platform for young people to dialogue with United Nations member states and share their views on how to make the world a fairer, more sustainable place for this generation and the next. Millennium Fellows at the forum engaged policymakers, government representatives, youth leaders, and more global players in the public and private sectors. MCN and UNAI also co-hosted a virtual side event at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2023. The event, titled "Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17) between undergraduates working on Social Impact and Universities," was co-moderated by the UN's Gabrielle Vardeleon and MCN's Dr Abigail Canales Ibarra. Young leaders attending the side event resolved that supporting student leaders who are committed to creating social impact with the SDGs can benefit universities and society as a whole. By fostering a culture of social responsibility, attracting and retaining students, building partnerships and collaborations like the Millennium Fellowship, and addressing societal challenges, universities can play a key role in creating a more just and sustainable world. Partnerships between undergraduates working on social impact and their universities (SDG 17) can be incredibly valuable for achieving the SDGs. By leveraging the resources, expertise, and support of universities, students can more effectively implement their projects and make a greater impact on communities worldwide. We extend our gratitude to all Millennium Fellowship alumni present in New York for the Youth Forum, including Ariel Zhao, Lulu Okeke, Claudia Cabral, Ian McPherson, Sean Schrader, Aissatou Gningue, Charlie Zong, Suzanna (Siyu) Chen, Sanjay Sudarsan, Sarosh Nagar. Three of them have shared their reflections and learnings from the Forum below: Ariel Zhao: New York University '23 || Harvard '27 "I had the privilege of attending the ECOSOC Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters from 25-27 April 2023 as a delegate of the Millennium Campus Network. The forum addressed intergenerational equity's vital role in social equity and sustainable decision-making. It stressed the need for governments to enhance youth participation and establish consultation mechanisms and global standards. Secretary-General Guterres emphasized youth engagement in UN decision-making and advocated a standing UN youth town hall process for diverse and representative participation. One of my key takeaways from the forum is the importance of incorporating perspectives from different generations in the process of achieving social equity. Examining the roles of social and intergenerational equity is critical in influencing human well-being and achieving more sustainable decision-making. It is essential to involve youth in decision-making processes to ensure their voices and perspectives are heard, as they will be the ones to inherit and shape the future. As a Millennium Fellowship Alumnus, I had the opportunity to discuss my project aimed at strengthening SDG 3 "Good Health and Well-being." I aim to serve Chinese-American youth ages 15-18 in NY through evidence-based psychoeducational workshops designed for early mental health education intervention. With a culturally informed and community-based approach, we equip clients with strategies to thrive in this vulnerable developmental stage. The forum allowed me to share my project with fellow youth leaders, member states, and global leaders and gain valuable feedback and insights. I am immensely grateful to MCN for their steadfast support and guidance throughout my journey. In addition to providing invaluable platforms for broadening our global perspectives and acquiring comprehensive knowledge, I am particularly grateful for MCN’s concern for us as individuals and their efforts to connect us with multiple invaluable networks and partners. I am truly grateful for the resources and opportunities that MCN has facilitated for us, which have been instrumental in our personal and professional growth." Sarosh Nagar: Harvard University '24 "On April 25th, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 2023 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the invitation of ECOSOC President Her Excellency Lachezara Stoeva. Alongside a delegation of 14 other brilliant Millennium Fellows and Sam and Abby from the Millennium Campus Network (MC), I had the opportunity to attend the summit, speak on key policy topics, and meet brilliant young leaders from across the world who are running organizations, building devices, and more to help the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. At the Summit, I focused on SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. My fellowship project is a nonprofit I founded called the Emerging Technology Group (ETG) (formerly Emerging Technology Initiative, featured in a previous Millennium Fellow feature here.) We work across 5 continents with more than 10 partners to leverage technology for social good, using technological tools to conduct original research, develop policy recommendations, build inventions, and more to leverage technology for good, with our work presented to the White House and more. At the ECOSOC Youth Forum, I had two key privileges. First, I had the opportunity to discuss ETG’s work with a global audience, especially through United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and MCN’s side event where we discussed how to use technology in non-traditional ways for the social good. However, even more importantly, I had the opportunity to listen and learn. Many of my fellow Millennium Fellows had wonderful projects focused on science and technology." Abigail Canales: Partnerships Manager, MCN "The SDGs are intended to be achieved by 2030 and beyond, and young people will be the ones living with the consequences of today's political decisions for many years to come. Therefore, it is important to involve young people in the policy-making process to ensure that their perspectives and concerns are taken into account and that policies are designed to have a lasting impact. Let's speak up even if our voices tremble! I lack the words to express the admiration I have for the Millennium Fellowship alumni who were part of this incredible experience. Despite the difficulties around the world, they are the ones who not only create hopes for a more just and equitable future for all but also take action to achieve it. Every day, the destinies of nations and the fate of our planet are shaped by the decisions made by politicians and leaders. These choices carry profound implications for the present and future generations, particularly impacting the lives of young people who will inherit the world we leave behind. Sadly, in many instances, the voices of these young individuals are disregarded, their perspectives overlooked, and their concerns neglected. The need to include and engage young people in decision-making processes cannot be overstated. They are the ones who will bear the long-term consequences of political actions, environmental policies, and social reforms. Their perspectives, innovative ideas, and passion for a better future hold immense value and should be recognized as invaluable resources for building sustainable and inclusive societies. It is disheartening when decisions are made without adequate input from those who are most affected by them. The exclusion of young people from the decision-making table not only undermines the principles of democracy and inclusivity but also denies them the opportunity to contribute their unique insights, experiences, and aspirations. By actively involving the youth in political decision-making, we create a platform for their voices to be heard and their concerns to be addressed. This inclusive approach fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment, encouraging them to actively participate in shaping their own future. When young people are given the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborate with decision-makers, the outcomes reflect a broader range of perspectives and priorities that better represent the diverse needs of society as a whole. Inclusion is not just a matter of justice and fairness; it is a strategic imperative for a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous world. By embracing the perspectives and insights of young people, we can pave the way for a future that better represents the needs and aspirations of all generations, fostering a society where every voice truly matters. The ECOSOC Youth Forum was a positive step in this direction."

At the Baylor University in Texas, two sisters are exercising their passion for community leadership to create social impact. Ruhi and Isha Thapar were selected as part of the 2022 Millennium Fellowship with their joint project, ‘The Collegiate Foundation’ an SDG 4 initiative they co-founded as teenagers with the objective of helping to promote equitable access to higher education. Ruhi Thapar is a pre-medical University Scholars major with a focus on Medical Humanities and Sociology. Isha Thapar, another University Scholars major, minors in Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, and Medical Humanities. They both share a passion for bridging educational disparities and are driven by their commitment to expand access to higher education particularly for children and teenagers in marginalized populations. The Collegiate Foundation’s mission is to empower first-generation, low-income students and provide them with the tools to achieve their higher educational aspirations, removing the barriers that often derail their dreams. “Many students are either not able to go to college or are at risk of dropping out because they lack the essential skills to succeed in college. To promote equity in higher education, it is essential to support high school students before they enter college so that they are better prepared to succeed, thus reducing dropout rates.” At the time of joining the Fellowship, the Collegiate Foundation had already done some work in Houston, Texas and achieved awe-inspiring results. However, Ruhi and Isha recognized that the need for SDG 4 advocacy extended far beyond Houston, so they applied to the Millennium Fellowship hoping to receive a platform that could help them expand their project. Working together with their entire Millennium Fellowship cohort, they set their sights on Baylor University's hometown of Waco, a community where high poverty rates and structural inequalities have made it difficult for locals to access higher education. During the course of the Millennium Fellowship, the Baylor University cohort led by Isha and Ruhi established vital partnerships with local organizations in Waco, galvanized fundraising efforts, and provided much-needed computers to students in need. Their efforts not only helped bridge the gap between needy students and resources, but also help address the so-called "Baylor Bubble," an infamous rhetoric referring to the historic isolation of Baylor students from the community surrounding them. This has hindered the student body to community collaboration that is needed to achieve meaningful social impact in Waco. Millennium Fellows at Baylor championed community relations repair as the cornerstone of their mission, fostering genuine relationships with students, local organizations, and each other. “Our Fellows have learned that community building is about relationships. Relationships with students, organizations in the community, and each other. They have earnestly sought to fundraise and rally around this cause, and have been incredibly creative in coming up with ideas for fundraising and connecting with the community”. Ruhi and Isha have shared that the Millennium Fellowship was also a source of inspiration for them, particularly hearing from and learning about the work of Millennium Fellows past and present, and the range and diversity of their projects across the globe all united by the shared vision of achieving social justice and sustainable impact. "There is no greater privilege than having the opportunity to serve one's community, creating sustainable social impact is a difficult, rewarding, yet incredibly necessary endeavor.” - Ruhi Thapar These resonant words not only encapsulate the sisters' incredible commitment to social change, but also underscore the philosophy guiding the Millennium Fellowship - that young people worldwide are already passionate about, and deeply interested in community development, they only need to be platformed, empowered, and celebrated. The Fellowship allows young leaders to collaborate with other like-minded Fellows who share their passion for social justice and sustainable change. "To future Millennium Fellows, we would like to convey that we have learned so much about our community, each other, and ourselves through this Fellowship. It has been incredibly fruitful for all of us, who are going into a range of careers where social impact may manifest differently. This experience with the Millennium Fellowship has laid the groundwork for our future endeavors in meaningful social impact, and for that we are incredibly grateful and excited for what the future will hold!" Ruhi and Isha Thapar launched their social impact work as sisters, and were able to foster a larger family of social impact champions at Baylor. Their charity began at home and spread throughout the Houston and Waco communities, leaving an indelible mark on vulnerable, underprivileged children. They serve as a powerful reminder that when passion and purpose converge, extraordinary outcomes are possible. About Isha: Isha Thapar is a senior at Baylor University where she is a University Scholars major with minors in Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, and Medical Humanities. She is a strong advocate for equity in healthcare and access to higher education. Her initiatives include forming Collegiate Foundations, a non-profit that provides mentorship and resources for first-generation, low-income college students, as well as Students for Environmental Equity, an organization working to promote environmental health and justice. Isha’s goal is to become a physician working at the intersection of medicine and public health in order to advocate for marginalized populations. Connect on LinkedIn. About Ruhi: Ruhi Thapar is a rising senior at Baylor University, where she pursues pre-medical studies as a University Scholars major with minors in Medical Humanities and Sociology. She is a long-time volunteer with the dropout prevention program Communities in Schools, and is passionate about her non-profit Collegiate Foundations, where she works towards bridging educational disparities. Informed by her work with Collegiate Foundations and her time working in the U.S. Congress, Ruhi hopes to serve patients and communities in the future as a compassionate healthcare provider who informs health policy and advocates for positive change through health journalism. Connect on LinkedIn. Learn more about the Collegiate Foundation here.

Class of 2022 Millennium Fellow Sarosh Nagar is an Emerging Technologist leveraging tech for social benefit. He founded his Millennium Fellowship project "Emerging Technologists Initiative" as a research based, moonshot organisation that helps organisations explore how they can use technology for powerful social ends. Sarosh spoke with us extensively about young people's belief in emerging technologies, the implication of AI, Biotech, and more, and the how the Millennium Fellowship shaped his journey as a technologist. Sarosh thank you for spending time with us today. Could you just begin with the typical interview question; Who is Sarosh Nagar? Where do you go to school? And what things do you care about? "Sure thing. So my name is Sarosh Nagar, a Junior at Harvard University where I double major in chemistry and economics, with a minor in government. I am also a Millennium Fellow from the Class of 2022. I'm deeply passionate about how we leverage emerging technologies, that is things like artificial intelligence, biotechnology and more to solve real-world global problems. I have a particular interest in SDG. 9, which deals with innovation, industry, and infrastructure. I want to explore how those technologies and the broader emerging tech space influences implementation of the SDGs and, how the space can be harnessed to speed up and ensure SDGs are implemented in a more efficient and equitable manner." Amazing! How did you get into the social impact and social leadership space and what does this works mean to you? "There was no one isolated incident that uniquely set me on the path I am on today. Rather, it was a confluence of factors that led me here. First and foremost, my parents, both Indian immigrants, came to America in search of the elusive "American Dream." As a child, I heard countless stories of their upbringing and the difficult conditions they faced. These stories not only grounded me, but also instilled a strong sense of empathy within me for those less fortunate. I often pondered ways in which we could bridge the gaps in wealth, technology, and power distribution to benefit society more effectively. During my younger years, I suffered from frequent bouts of illness, including a severe and prolonged bacterial infection that required me to take strong antibiotics for an extended period of time. This period of my life was challenging, but it also fueled my interest in finding ways to help those who were less fortunate. These experiences have shaped my belief that we must be there for one another, especially those who are struggling. It is this belief that drives my passion for social impact work." Wonderful. I believe there is a pressing need to ensure we harness emerging tech for social benefit. Why did you choose to focus your work on emerging technologists and how important do you think that work is? "Here's a great way to think about it: When we reflect on the history of human civilization, it becomes apparent that technology's primary objective has always been to improve the quality of human life. Take agriculture, for example. In its early days, farming relied on manual labor and basic tools to plow fields and sow seeds. Unfortunately, natural disasters such as droughts and floods posed significant challenges for farmers, often resulting in crop failure and famine. In response, humans developed ingenious solutions, such as dams and aqueducts, to mitigate the risks and improve the efficiency of cultivation. These innovations not only ensured the survival of small-scale farming communities but also contributed to the overall welfare of societies. Today, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to revolutionize education and address some of the greatest obstacles faced by learners worldwide, particularly in developing countries. By effectively automating and improving educational services, millions of students could gain access to quality learning resources that were once out of reach. In this sense, technology continues to be a force for good, offering solutions to longstanding challenges and empowering people to lead better, more fulfilling lives." That's brilliant. Please tell us about your project 'Emerging Technology Initiaitive'. "The Emerging Technology Initiative (ETI) is an organization built on the mantra ‘Let's leverage the emerging technologies for powerful social ends’. We run on a research model, whereby we’re leveraging different SDGs, recruiting students who have different technical familiarities, and bringing them together to handle projects that tackle the SDGs and do socially impactful work, for Governments, nonprofits and other groups. ETI started as a Millennium Fellowship project during my time as a Fellow, and I'm happy to share it has now morphed into a full organisation. Modelled loosely like Google's Project 'X', our mission is to support inventors and innovators in creating groundbreaking solutions to the world's most pressing problems. We operate in a model similar to that of a moonshot factory, bringing together technologists and interdisciplinary teams of students to tackle complex challenges through original research, device building, and invention. One of our current projects is a collaboration with the Instituto da Opportundade Social in Brazil. Our team of young technologists is conducting original research on AI education, seeking to understand the most effective teaching methods and strategies. Through close collaboration with students, professors, and other stakeholders, we are helping design a unique curriculum that will help unlock the potential of AI education in Brazil. We're currently working with seven partners across five continents, including Millennium Fellowship alumnus Jeremiah Thoronka in West Africa who is leveraging tech through his energy startup 'Optim Energy', providing clean power to thousands of Sierra Leonians. We're able to solve relevant social problems uniquely, by leveraging research-driven innovation and giving our partners real-world takeaways." Despite their obvious utilities, there are real concerns about the potential negative implications of emerging technologies. For example, fears that AI may automate away people's jobs or fuel cheating in the classroom. How are you thinking about these challenges at ETI as you leverage emerging tech for good? "It's always worth remembering that technology itself is merely a tool, neither inherently good nor bad. The critical question is how do we choose to wield it? Even as we embrace emerging tech, we must create the societal structures that ensure their ethical, moral, and sustainable use. For ETI we also want to ensure that the consequences of our research and it's human impact are never too far away from us. We constantly meet with partners to share progress and receive feedback. So, importantly, our work is constantly shaped by the insights and lived experiences of those on the frontlines of social change." Awesome. Of course your organisation began as a Millennium Fellowship project and has now grown exponentially. As you think about the future, what does success look like to you in the short, medium and long term? "My personal philosophy is that no problem is insurmountable with the right mix of planning, team, and passion. For me long term success means global reach and impact. We hope to collaborate with more partners, engage a larger pool of students, and undertake more projects that will have a transformative impact on the lives of people worldwide. Central to this will be securing the necessary resources and funding to develop innovative devices, inventions, and solutions, making ETI a true Moonshot organization. In the medium term, we aim to diversify our teams by integrating students with a wide range of technical skills and specific passions for intersectional issues where a multitude of expertise can come together to tackle complex problems. In the short term, we of course hope to deliver valuable and meaningful solutions to our current partners." That's absolutely brilliant. I wish you all the best. What did being part of the Millennium Fellowship mean for you, and how did it contribute to your own personal development? "I have immense, tremendous gratitude to the Fellowship for all it taught me, and for making ETI possible. In addition to introducing me to an incredible cohort of like-minded peers at Harvard, the Millennium Fellowship has opened my life to countless opportunities. I was selected as part of the UN Millennium fellowship delegation to the transforming Education Summit at the United Nations Headquarters. This was deeply transformational for me. I had multiple high-level meetings, interacted with education stakeholders from around the world, and had a chance to pick the brains of other brilliant young leaders. The Millennium Fellowship has also taught me a lot about the best ways to run a social impact-focused project, put me in touch with the right people, and brought me in community with young people who also have good ideas to discuss, debate, collaborate and succeed. Lastly, MCN Executive Director Sam has not only been a dear friend but also a significant mentor to me. His extensive knowledge gained from building MCN and the Millennium Fellowship has been immeasurably valuable. Sam consistently made time to speak, offering meaningful support to me and many other young people. He helped me navigate through important questions like ‘How do we expand here? What do you do to get there? What's the right way to do this?’ I will always be thankful for this community. " Connect with Sarosh on LinkedIn.

Class of 2022 Millennium Fellow Yoal Damai Dar was named a 2022 Moonshot Prize Award Winner in the 'Borderless category'. This award is given to leaders running initiatives that serve minority communities on a “for the people, by the people” principle. He speaks with us about his project, living as a refugee in Kenya, and his time as a Millennium Fellow. Thank you for joining us today Yoal. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Thank you for having me. My name is Yoal Domai Dar, currently a University of Nairobi student majoring in Planning and Management. I'm originally from South Sudan but have been living in Kenya for the past 12 years as a refugee. This country has played a significant role in my life, both personally and professionally, and I have a strong desire to give back and contribute to issues in the region and beyond. I’ve been heavily involved in the student leadership space, participating in multiple fellowships including the Young African Leaders Initiative, a program launched by Barack Obama as a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. I am also a Class of 2022 Millennium Fellow. I co-founded Gezira Young People Agribusiness Trust Company in 2018, and most recently was named a Moonshot Platform Award winner, in the borderless category. Congratulations on being named an inagural Moonshot award winner. Can you tell us a little bit about Moonshot, the project that made you an awardee, and why it matters The Moonshot Platform is a movement generating opportunities for emerging leaders to inspire ideas and social impact action. Its mission is to 'create a world where young ambitious citizens not only see impact and real change as an achievable goal to strive for, but are also empowered and have access to all the support they require to turn their ideas into action.' As a Milllennium Fellow, I learnt that only 12 per cent of young people across the world have access to psychosocial support. Worse still, less than 1 per cent of refugees have access to any form of psychosocial support. This was a very worrying statistic for me, particularly because I know first-hand how traumatic it can be to live life as a refugee. This is why I founded “The Spear of African Peace” (SoAP) project. SoAP proposes the use of art and storytelling as therapeutic tools to help communities, particularly refugees, deal with trauma. We utilize the art of storytelling as a catalyst for change through productive discourse. Our main activity is a yearly therapeutic essay contest that not only acts as a soul-mending safe space for sharing the - often traumatic - personal experiences of the East African youth but also draws upon these unique stories, amplifies them, and - by connecting the winners with key partnered governmental institutions - provides a platform for the youth's opinions, viewpoints, and ideas. Through economic avenues, art and storytelling via online channels, SoAP aims at transforming the livelihood of refugees both in urban and rural settings across the East Africa region. Only 12 per cent of young people across the world have access to psychosocial support This is wonderful to hear, how did you learn about the Moonshot awards and what does this recognition mean to you? I learnt about Moonshot through the Millennium fellowship - MCN was working in partnership with Moonshot to identify promising youth leaders. When I received the email I immediately applied. Winning this coveted Moonshot award has gone a long way in validating our work, and gives us much-needed visibility and credibility. The entire team is extremely happy that their efforts have finally been noticed. The prize fund is very important as it will enable us to carry out our work plan, implement our projects in Kenya, and also hopefully open many other doors. With the help of this prize, we will be able to present our first six essay winners and air up to 100 refugee stories on our online YouTube channel. Thank you for sharing your story with us Yoal and congratulations on your success as a Moonshot awardee. Is there any last word you’d like to share with us? Thank you so much for having me. I just want to stress the importance of youth leadership in community advancement, and challenge other young people to continue playing whatever role they can in bringing about positive change. It is essential for young people to be actively involved in their communities and to use their voices to advocate for the issues that matter to them. Thank you to the MIllennium fellowship for providing a platform for young people to do that. Connect with Yoal on LinkedIn. Follow SoAP on LinkedIn Connect with Yoal on Facebook Learn more about Moonshot

"The past five years of my life have been dedicated to the fight against malaria, a cause I am very passionate about. The decision to venture fully into malaria research and advocacy was made during my time as a Millennium Fellow in 2019. After a friend of mine lost two of her unborn babies to malaria parasitaemia in 2018, I took the decision to help my community fight the disease, and the Millennium Fellowship provided me with the opportunity to not only implement my idea but to also understand how to scale it into a sustainable project. Going through the Millennium fellowship, I learnt a lot about leadership, empathy, inclusiveness and humility. I also got a clear understanding of the SDGs, community development as well as social impact. These experiences led me to start my Millennium Fellowship project, Block Malaria Africa Initiative. Today, Block Malaria Africa Initiative is a registered malaria Intervention Initiative supporting most at-risk communities to build resilience against malaria across Nigeria. My experience as a Millennium Fellow in 2019 also served as a preparatory ground for my advocacy journey. In the course of the Fellowship sessions, we discussed what role young people can play in the realization and actualization of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This began my SDG 3 advocacy, specifically pushing for the inclusion of young people in the fight against malaria at all levels. This work led to my appointment as West African lead of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), a youth advisory council advising leaders on how to ensure youth participation in advocacy for malaria at continental, regional and country levels. I am also a member of the RBM Youth Workstream and a malaria champion with MalariaNoMoreUK advocating for zero malaria on both the continental and the global scenes while building a career in the Public health space. I can boldly say that the Millennium Fellowship experience was the genesis of my strides in the advocacy and community development space. In the course of my work over the past few years, I have encouraged hundreds of young undergraduates interested in social impact, leadership and community development to apply to the Millennium Fellowship and start their social impact journey from the opportunities the programme presents. It’s another application season and I encourage you to apply for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2023." About the Author Odinaka Kingsley is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and a Public Health Enthusiast with interest in Malaria Programming, Health Communications, and Policy & Advocacy in Global health. He is the Executive Director of Block Malaria Africa Initiative, a malaria intervention initiative he founded during his time as a Millennium Fellow in 2019. He currently serves as West African Lead at the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) Youth Advisory Council, under the leadership of H.E President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau. He is also a member of the RBM Digital Youth Workstream on Malaria and a Malaria Youth Champion with MalariaNoMoreUK where he advocates for #ZeroMalaria across the African continent. In 2021, he was featured by the WHO and RBM Partnership on the occasion of the World Malaria Day Virtual Forum to share about his contribution as a youth in the fight against malaria. Odinaka is a recipient of the Ambassador of Medical Laboratory Sciences Award by AMLSN Plateau, and the Social Worker of the year 2019 award by Youth Art Initiative. He was one of the 60 Nigerian health workers celebrated as #HealthHeroes by the Nigerian Health Watch on Nigeria's 60th anniversary, for their contribution to strengthening the health care system in Nigeria. Odinaka recently became the first African recipient of the maiden 25Under25 Global Legacy award by Common Purpose. He is an alumnus of the Millennium fellowship, Global Health Mentorship and the West African Institute of Public Health and enjoys volunteering, cooking, hiking and travelling during his leisure. Connect with Kingsley on Twitter and LinkedIn. Millennium Fellowship alumni, share your story with the community here.

This year we asked Millennium Fellowship alumni to share what SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) means to them. Over the coming weeks, Alumni will unpack what partnerships they leveraged to make their Social Impact work successful. They'll explore partnerships with their schools, peers, and communities, then share recommendations on how young people can create and navigate meaningful partnerships to power social change in their communities. "It is noteworthy to mention that when we started this, most of us had little to no experience in running social impact projects, but here we were, drafting concept notes and proposals, pitching our ideas to leaders and titans of industries." - Vincent Muhoro, Moi University Partnership with Peers: The Dunia Bora Initiative, which began as a collective project of the Millennium Fellows at Moi University has been a journey and story inspired by the desire for transformation, a collective desire that weighs heavily on our generation. Dunia Bora is a Swahili phrase, loosely translated to 'a better world for all'. When we embarked on the journey to creating social impact, we all had different and unique project ideas. We committed to do our best to leverage the platform, knowledge and mentorship that the Millennium Fellowship was offering. We also merged our project ideas to collectively create Dunia Bora. By harnessing our collective synergies and unique passions, we managed to create an initiative we were all excited to get behind. Our cohort was united by the same challenges and strengthened by the desire to find meaningful solutions. We noted that one of the greatest challenges in our was in the education sector. Partnership with donors and supporters: We tried our hand in community partnerships by reaching out to different public and private sector stakeholders. Even as we made requests to institutions and potential donors, we ensured to offer value by suggesting to tackle specific challenges they faced internally. At Chepkoiyo Secondary School and Mkombozi Secondary School in Kenya's Uasin Gishu County, there was an acute shortage of learning materials, textbooks and toothpastes. The schools are both located along the Rift Valley region, where most water is saline with high salt levels concentration, so students' teeth were consistently browning. Anohter challenge was related to insecurity. Within local communities, residents informed us that during the electioneering period, politicians would often offer hand-outs to young high-school students to propagate violence. We partnered with the local Unilever branch to help provide toothpaste and freshwater tanks, and Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to donate civic and electoral learning materials, and offer training on the electoral process. The university also worked with us to ensure Millennium Fellows were offered consistent meeting spaces to facilitate our training sessions. The above-mentioned are just but a few of the partnerships that we leveraged in our project building. Reflections: In the spirit of honesty and truthfulness, when we started Dunia Bora, we had less wins than losses. We reached out to 20 potential partners, only 6 were eventually willing to work with us. Most potential leads turned us down with some promising to support us during their next financial year, while others didn't respond to our persistent outreach. We never expected a yes from everybody, but the rejections hit us harder than we expected. Sometimes we had to make difficult decisions because great potential partners would ask for more than we could give. An organization was willing to donate urgently needed school supplies, but only under the condition that they could take pictures of the kids we supported to use on their websites. Our values and principles couldn't let us accept these conditions, so we turned down their offer. In establishing our partnership with Unilever, we were directed to partner with their Heroes for Change group which was running a hand-wash and "brush brush" campaign. Heroes for Change donated over 30,000 pieces of toothpaste, valued at up to 2 Million Kenya Shillings. This small win was one of our greatest highlights in the course of this journey. We then held conversations with several officers of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission( IEBC), eventually meeting with Jane Kingori who was the County Elections Manager, Uasin Gishu County. Jane was amazing in helping power our partnership. As a University student, she had dreamt of running social impact initiatives but said she didn't have a platform like the Millennium Fellowship which could nurture her dreams. She was therefore extremely eager to support us. Because of her endorsement, the commission donated a huge load of books and tree seedlings which we planted at local schools. It is noteworthy to mention that when we started this, most of us had little to no experience in running social impact projects, but here we were drafting concept notes and proposals, pitching our ideas to leaders and titans of industries. At first, all rejections hit us hard, and all our losses felt like failure. However the more we grew the more we began to appreciate the ups and downs of this process, understanding that in the world of social leadership there's no such thing as losing. Sometimes you win, other times you learn. As we continue scaling our initiative, we wish to extend special thanks to the students we served, they made us understand the world and our role in it much better. Thanks to all institutions that came on board to work with us, and special thanks to those that didn't - they taught us important lessons in tenacity and perseverance. Lastly, very special thanks to the Millennium Fellowship team, the lessons we received as Fellows made us better leaders. Author: Vincent Muhoro. Vincent is a Class of 2021 Millennium Fellowship alumnus and student at Moi University in Kenya. Connect with Vincent on LinkedIN.

By: Suzzel Alberto “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” -Malala Yousafzai When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, there are some common answers; a doctor, rockstar, or astronaut. Along with becoming a doctor, I had two other very specific goals by the time I was eight years old, to become a mermaid and attend a United Nations Summit. So far I’ve accomplished one, working on another, and have learned to accept swimming as a human is as close as I’m going to get. When I received an email informing me of an opportunity to apply to attend the United Nations Transforming Education Summit 2022, I literally stopped everything I was doing and sent in my application. The days ahead felt like they dragged on and my emails went through a drought. The application process got extended, as did the acceptance process, prolonging the wait even more. Finally, the day the acceptances were sent out came and went. I thought to myself “I didn’t get it”. Then, three days later on Monday, 12 September, I received an email from the UN informing me that I was accepted. The emotions I felt were overwhelming, tears welled up in my eyes, and I was shaking with excitement. I, the daughter of political refugees, was chosen to attend a United Nations Summit on education! The reality set in and I realized I had three days to book a flight, book a hotel, and pack. As I looked at flights, they were disappearing by the time I would scroll through to the next page. As it turned out, not only was there a UN Summit followed by the UN general assembly, it was also New York Fashion Week. Needless to say, New York was in high demand. Despite the chaos, I was able to get everything taken care of. The following day, I checked my itinerary to discover that everything I had booked was a day off! A clear sign that I had to slow down and take my time in my actions. The day came, by eleven pm I would be on a redeye flight to New York. The next morning, this California girl woke up on the opposite American Coast. Once settled in, I decided to get ahead of the game by walking from my hotel to the United Nations Headquarters to map out how much time to allot to it the day of the Summit. I was able to pick up my entry badge and took a proud photo in front of the universal flags while representing my university as well, Arizona State. As a California native, you grow up hearing “West Coast is the best coast” and about this unspoken rivalry with the East Coast. Within a few hours of being in New York, I realized that this rivalry couldn’t be more wrong. I fell in love with the city! I couldn’t wait to explore and eat all the amazing food. I was standing in the Strawberry Fields Memorial when it hit me, I was going to be attending an actual UN Summit the next day. I don’t know if it was the nerves or the adrenaline of being in New York for the first time AND for a Summit but I had the best sleep. I got a wonderful start to my day by meeting up with another Millennium Fellow, who also happened to be from ASU as well. It was a great start to the many amazing connections and friendships I would encounter on this journey. The morning arrived for day one of the Transforming Education Summit: Mobilization Day. This day was unlike any other UN Summit because they opened their doors to youth from around the world to speak from the source of the topic at hand, education. It was a youth-led and youth-designed experience. The Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed, said this was the most detailed summit she had ever attended and commended the passion of the youth in addressing SDG 4. The youth were joined by stakeholders and high-level government representatives from around the world. While in the first security line questions began to run through my head; What if I wasn’t ready? What if I didn’t make the most of my experience? Will I make an impact? It’s only natural that my first time at the United Nations would be filled with such an array of emotions. Once passing the security clearance, we were welcomed by art installations and interactive art. A vivid and inviting entrance took away most of those thoughts I had while in line. The colours, the messages, and the crowd were all deeply inspiring. The Summit opened with a musical performance by Sara Marley and Brenda Vongova. As the day progressed I was enthralled by the power of the youth. They knew what they wanted to say and demanded to be heard and respected. The words of a population that is often spoken for but never heard from. It was a beautiful display of genuine urgency to transform education worldwide. There were speeches, Q&A panels, and networking opportunities. It was as if the art we were welcomed with transcended into live performances filled with emotions and compassion to make a difference. As the day progressed I had opportunities to meet with high-level government officials, alumni of the Millennium Fellowship, and social entrepreneurs advancing the SDGs. Each meeting was different from the last and all were amazing. Along the way, I got to meet current fellows from different cohorts and the co-founder of the Millennium Fellowship, Sam Vaghar. Getting to experience the UN with Sam and the other Millennium Fellows made my time there more memorable than I could have imagined. The end of day one rounded off with successful networking, passion-filled energy for change, and lots of blisters. Who knew you’d be walking so much at a Summit? Not me! I wore sandals the next day. I figured I could represent my state of California while catering to my sore feet. Rule #1 of New York: comfortable shoes. Day two: Solutions Day provided a space for Member States and partners to convene on key issues emerging from the five Thematic Action Tracks of the Summit and to mobilize support for action that will deliver transformative change at the country level. Main room conferences and 48 different breakout sessions throughout the day. This was my opportunity to attend sessions in areas that targeted my interests. It was kicked off by the legendary Amina J. Mohammed, followed by the unpredictable and bold words of Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and SDG Advocate. He called upon leaders in the room to “do the math”, the funds are there but we aren’t allotting them correctly towards global education. Day two was enlightening, it was a reflection of the voices heard the day before. Mentions of the youth’s words the day before were reiterated by excellencies and delegates. The Secretary General of the United Nations assured young people that “He was not here to speak, but to listen.” A statement that set the tone for all leaders to listen keenly and pledge to keep their word. This day was filled with innovation and resilience. Diverse panels with captivating ideas for progress in education. Plans for education equity, inclusion, quality and relevance across all platforms. Conversations on how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented times but also led to fast-paced necessary growth. The pandemic pushed us all into the digital age faster than any of us could have dreamt, a transition that was long overdue. This can be an opportunity to provide education in areas that may not have access or resources. There were moments of humour. A digital presentation on artificial intelligence having technical difficulties, the Deputy Secretary General of the U.N. saying “I know, her again” in her fourth speech, laughs exchanged in the hallways. Constant reminders that we were all there to not just to suggest much-needed changes in education, but to interact as humans. The passion for a positive change in the world’s education and overall well-being was awe-inspiring. Truly an experience I will never forget. I plan to continue acting on making the world a better place with the same energy I put forth at the United Nations. When it comes to the SDG spotlighted at this Summit, I believe that education should not be a privilege but a basic human right. We can all be a part of moving the world forward in this regard. If you ever get the chance to attend a United Nations Summit, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend boldly advocating for what you believe in. We are all important, all our voices matter, and all our dreams can come true. What we do in our todays will always affect our tomorrows. I am honored to have been able to attend this event and look forward to seeing the change we all are a part of. Thanks to the Millennium Fellowship, MCN, the United Nations Academic Impact, and every person I’ve met along the journey; I am more confident in myself and my hope for the world is strong. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Mahatma Ghandi Suzzel Alberto is a Class of 2022 Millennium Fellow from the Arizona State University. She serves as ASU Chapter President of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Connect with her on LinkedIn.