For the second straight year, Sullivan Foundation partner school Rollins College is among an exclusive group of colleges selected to participate in the United Nations’ Millennium Fellowship leadership development program.

A cohort of 11 Rollins students has been selected to participate in the 2019 Millennium Fellowship, which empowers students to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on campus and in their communities. Rollins was one of just 30 campuses worldwide selected to host the global pilot program in 2018.

Students from 1,209 campuses across 135 nations applied to the highly selective fellowship, which was launched last year by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) initiative and the Millennium Campus Network (MCN).

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Rollins College’s 2019 Millennium Fellows are Farahana Cajuste, Brittany Chaney, Aditya Das, Wyatt Deihl, Jiavi Ding, Isaac Gorres, Eliane Heller, Dahlia Lilleslatten, Ahrmon Mahanpour, Brunella Roncetti, and Ye Wong.

From August through December, Rollins Millennium Fellows will help implement some of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that the U.N. adopted in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. The goals range from clean water and affordable clean energy to quality education and responsible consumption. Millennium Fellows’ projects are projected to positively impact the lives of more than 970,000 people worldwide.

this photo depicts some of the students mentioned in the story

Clockwise from left: Isaac Gorres, Aditya Das, Ahrmon Mahanpour, and Eliane Heller are among Rollins’ 2019 Millennium Fellows.

In their fellowship applications, students proposed a project that would advance at least one U.N. Sustainable Development Goal and one UNAI principle. Projects include everything from research and documentary filmmaking to running a social enterprise and leading campus-wide initiatives. As the faculty advisor for the Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Hub, political science professor Dan Chong will work closely with the cohort on developing and implementing their individual projects.

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“Rollins College stands out as one of the most committed university communities committed to social impact in the world,” says Sam Vaghar, MCN executive director and co-founder. “This extends from the students to the faculty and administration that strongly advocate for them. I have personally seen the extraordinary passion, commitment, and follow-through present in this community, and it is exciting and fitting to see Rollins selected to host Millennium Fellows on campus for another year.”

In addition to Millennium Fellowship sessions on campus this year, there will be webinars with sector leaders from the United Nations and the Gates Foundation along with collaboration from Howard W. Buffett, whose new book, Social Value Investing, has provided content for the fellowship curriculum.

this photo shows a gorgeous waterfall scene in the rainforest

Photo by Oliver Sjöström from Pexels

“Our Millennium Fellows will leverage their Rollins education by engaging in global challenges such as educational inequality, sustainability, human rights, and access to health,” says Micki Meyer, Lord Family Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs-Community. “The U.N. Sustainability Goals provide students with a framework to direct their commitment to change, and we’re excited to see how they learn and grow from this leadership opportunity.”

According to the U.N. website, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in September 2015 by the U.N. General Assembly,  “emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainability for all.” It lists 17 sustainable development goals:

*No poverty
* Zero hunger
* Good health and well-being
* Quality education
* Gender equality
* Clean water and sanitation
* Affordable and clean energy
* Decent work and economic growth
* Industry, innovation and infrastructure
* Reduced inequality
* Sustainable cities and communities
* Responsible consumption and production
* Climate action
* Life below water
* Life on land
* Peace and justice – strong institutions
* Partnerships to achieve the goal

This article was adapted from the original story appearing on the Rollins College website.

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