An ambitious program to help realise the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has welcomed seven Griffith University students into its Class of 2024.
The Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long leadership development program for undergraduate students across the globe, allowing them to progress their social impact to the next level with access to world-class training, connections and recognition.
This year more than 52,000 applicants from more than 6,000 campuses applied to take part, with only around 4,000 students being accepted.
With just five per cent of campuses worldwide selected to host this year’s cohort, Griffith is proud to be one of only two Australian Millennium campuses – a role it has now held for five successive years.
Fellows will go through leadership development training across the semester and launch their own community-based projects in line with their degrees and interests to advance the SDGs.
Third-year nutrition and dietetics student Caitlin Brims found out about the Millennium Fellowship through Griffith’s Student Academy of Excellence and jumped at the chance to be involved with the United Nations.
Her project, titled ‘Cook and Connect’, has addressed both SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, by designing a cooking program for university students after realising some students not only lacked nutrition knowledge, but also basic skills such as how to use a knife or a grater.
“It was definitely a shock when I realised a lot of my fellow students didn’t know how to cook a basic meal or understand that vegetables really are an essential part of our diets, so I wanted to fill that gap,” Ms Brims said.
“We’re taking a holistic approach that considers both physical and mental health as vital to overall wellbeing, and equipping vulnerable community members with the skills they need to be more independent and confident in meeting their nutritional needs while also providing opportunities to share stories, laughter, and connection with people from different walks of life.
“Our program may just be getting started, but its impact on the health and wellbeing of students is already evident.”
Ms Brims has also been appointed a campus director for 2024, meaning she’ll be a central point of contact between the UN and the rest of the Griffith fellows.
Bachelor of Urban Planning (Honours) student Hannah Chambers and her research partner Cayla Deane will be implementing a project called ‘Recyclopedia: Know Before You Throw’ which they hope will improve recycling practices in the community.
Ms Chambers said the project will use QR codes on items to alleviate uncertainty and provide instant, clear information on what can and cannot be recycled.
“We’re excited to work with other fellows and help promote sustainability through education,” she said.
“It’s not often we get to help our community so directly, but even in small ways it all means so much.”
A third project, titled BIOMEX (Biomedical Innovation and Multidisciplinary Educational eXcellence) has been championed by Bachelor of Biomedical Science student Isabella Gonzalez and her team.
“BIOMEX is dedicated to advancing biomedical sciences through an inclusive, collaborative community of students,” Ms Gonzalez said.
“We blend innovation with hands-on learning to prepare future leaders in health and technologies, focusing on merging cutting-edge research with practical applications in areas such as bionics, anatomy, medical laboratory science, and academic development.
“We also emphasise sustainability through eco-friendly initiatives such as tree planting and promoting green technologies.”
2024 Millennium Fellowship class:
- Caitlin Brims
- Caoimhe Acosta
- Cayla Deane
- Hannah Chambers
- Isabella Gonzalez
- Lily Hart
- Thien Tran
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