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2020 IMPACT REPORT
CONTENTS
ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP
MEET THE CLASS OF 2020
CLASS OF 2020 BY COUNTRY
MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP CAMPUSES
OUR IMPACT
OVERALL PROGRAM BENEFITS
TRAINING
CONNECTIONS
CREDENTIALS & CAREER EXPOSURE
LEARNINGS FOR 2021
03
05
07
09
11
17
19
23
30
35
Throughout the report, you will see this
icon to indicate a hyperlinked text.
The Millennium Fellowship program has motivated me to
take my social impact to the next level. I have become a
stronger advocate for the issues that matter, a more
conscious citizen of my surroundings, and an inspired leader
who genuinely wants the best for my community.
Mariangelie Torres Maldonado, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
In 2013, Millennium Campus Network (MCN) launched
the Millennium Fellowship to convene, challenge, and
celebrate student leadership making a difference. Since
2018, MCN and the United Nations Academic Impact
(UNAI) partnered to take the Millennium Fellowship to
the next level.
Millennium Fellows receive training, connections, and
credentials as they take action to advance the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Millennium Fellows are selected from a wide range of
academic institutions - large and small, public and
private - affirming the fact that there are student leaders
in every community committed to localizing the SDGs
and strengthening communities.
3
A RECORD-BREAKING APPLICANT POOL
The Millennium Fellowship received a record-breaking
number of applications for the Class of 2020. 15,159
young leaders applied to join on 1,458 campuses across
135 nations. The application process for the Millennium
Fellowship is highly selective with only 6% of campuses
selected to host Millennium Fellows for the Class of
2020.
15,159
APPLIED TO THE CLASS OF 2020
135
NATIONS
1,458
CAMPUSES
4
MEET THE CLASS OF 2020
1,211
MILLENNIUM FELLOWS
80
CAMPUSES
20
NATIONS
MEET THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWS
5
MAJORITY FEMALE
MAJORITY PEOPLE OF COLOR
ADVANCING ALL 17 UN SDGS
WORKING ON 711 SOCIAL
IMPACT PROJECTS
6
CLASS OF 2020 BY COUNTRY
80 Campuses
20 Countries
Mexico
2 Campuses
USA
26 Campuses
Ecuador
1 Campus
United Kingdom
2 Campuses
France
1 Campus
Ghana
4 Campuses
Nigeria
16 Campuses
Greece
1 Campus
Australia
1 Campus
India
9 Campuses
China
1 Campus
Yemen
1 Campus
South Africa
1 Campus
Kenya
5 Campuses
Rwanda
2 Campuses
Uganda
2 Campuses
Lebanon
1 Campus
Qatar
1 Campus
Nepal
2 Campuses
Pakistan
1 Campus
8
MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP SELECTED CAMPUSES FOR THE CLASS OF 2020
Ghana
KNUST Ghana
University for Development Studies
University of Cape Coast
University of Ghana
Kenya
JKUAT Kenya
Kenyatta University
Strathmore University
USIU-Africa
University of Nairobi
Ahmadu Bello University
Babcock University
Federal University of Agriculture
Federal University Oye Ekiti
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Lagos State University
Niger Delta University
Nigeria
Rwanda
African Leadership University
RICA- Rwanda
University of the Western Cape
Gulu University
Makerere University
South Africa
Uganda
Obafemi Awolowo University
University of Benin
University of Ibadan
University of Ilorin
University of Jos
University of Lagos
University of Maiduguri
University of Nigeria
University of Port Harcourt
Nigeria (cont.)
Harvard University
Loyola Marymount University
New York University
Northeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Pace University
Rollins College
Salisbury University
Stanford University
The University of South Florida
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Tufts University
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puerto Rico
Mexico
United States
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Universidad de Monterrey
Arizona State University
Baylor University
Bentley University
Brandeis University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Florida International University
Furman University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Ecuador
Universidad de las Américas
United States (cont.)
AFRICA
AMERICAS
9
China
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
India
Amity University, Mumbai
Ashoka University
Govt. Model Engineering College
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Indraprastha College for Women
National Institute of Technology Karnataka
Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)
University of Delhi
Yemen
Nepal
National University of Sciences & Technology
Qatar University
Al-Razi University
Pakistan
Qatar
Lebanese American University
Lebanon
ASIA
Agriculture and Forestry University
Kathmandu School of Law
Greece
Deree The American College of Greece
France
Sciences Po, Le Havre
United Kingdom
University College London
University of Cambridge
Australia
Griffith University
EUROPE
OCEANIA
10
Over half of the Class of 2020 worked on a Group or Cohort-wide
project (i.e. Collective Initiative), where Fellows partner and
collaborate on shared goals through their project.
Individual Project
46%
Group Project
45.3%
Collective Initiative
8.8%
Throughout the Millennium Fellowship program, Fellows work on a
project that advances at least one of the Sustainable Development
Goals and one of the UNAI Principles. In 2020, Millennium Fellows
worked on 711 projects advancing all 17 Sustainable Development
Goals.
OUR IMPACT
201,739
Hours dedicated
711
Unique Projects
875,827
Lives Positively Impacted
558
546
106
35
of the Millennium
Fellowship projects
applied and received
a non-profit status
Millennium Fellowship Projects
Breakdown of Project Types
11
Continuing
84.1%
Completed
15.9%
Millennium Fellows are not
stopping their journey after the
program. Out of the 710
projects, 598 projects will
continue to work and build their
Millennium Fellowship projects,
while 113 projects completed
their set goals by December.
Individuals
25.7%
Non-profit organizations
18.6%
Student Organizations
17%
Current/Past Millennium Fellows
13%
University
11.3%
Private Companies
6.3%
Other
3.6%
1,392
partnerships were formed through
the Fellowship projects.
84%
of Millennium Fellowship projects will
continue next semester.
Fellows response to the question: "Are you
continuing this project next semester?"
Types of Partnerships Formed in 2020
12
Target Audience
Homeless
Refugees
Individuals with Disabilities
Farmers/Agriculturally Based
Elderly/Senior Citizens
Unemployed
Rural Populations
Poverty
Minority Groups
Projects
14
15
18
22
25
34
82
96
101
SDG 4
SDG 3
SDG 5
SDG 2
SDG 16
SDG 10
SDG 1
SDG 11
SDG 13
SDG 12
SDG 6
SDG 8
SDG 17
SDG 7
SDG 9
SDG 14
SDG 15
200
150
100
50
0
Primary Target Audience
Children (up to age 15)
Men (25 & up)
Women (25 & up)
Youth (ages 15-24)
Projects
146
40
80
445
Millennium Fellows supported vulnerable communities and
addressed a range of social and environmental challenges and
collectively, they advance all 17 SDGs .
of the projects started as a result
of the Millennium Fellowship
59.7%
Affordable &
Clean Energy
Industry,
Innovation &
Infrastructure
Life
Below
Water
Life on
Land
Partnerships
for the Goals
Decent Work &
Economic
Growth
Clean Water &
Sanitation
Responsible
Consumption
& Production
Sustainable
Cities &
Communities
Peace, Justice &
Strong Institutions
Climate
Action
Quality Education
Good Health & Well-being
Gender Equality
Zero Hunger
Reduced
Inequalities
No Poverty
13
The Millennium Fellowship helped me understand ways of
starting and sustaining a successful social impact project.
The Fellowship also provided me with the opportunity to
network with other fellows, listen and learn from their ideas
and projects.
Oreoluwa Kehinde, Federal University of Agriculture, Nigeria
Stacey Ombati, Strathmore University - Kenya
The skills I learnt in the program were invaluable. As
a Campus Director, I learnt team management and
used this skill in my project.
Eszter Brandt, University of Cambridge - UK
I have become part of a global
community
The training sessions were amazing. Learning how to do essential
things such as successfully partner with organisations, identifying
your community and approaching businesses/philanthropists for
donations was extremely valuable.
Julia Hill, Griffith University - Australia
Deborah Adebayo, University of Lagos - Nigeria
global exposure
15
Kimberly Jayleen Garcia, Cornell University, USA
The Millennium Fellowship gave me an incredible support group that
rooted me every step of the way. From meeting other Fellows from around
the world and gaining their input on my project to all the leadership
workshops my campus group worked through, the Millennium Fellowship
helped shape me into not only a better leader but a more hopeful person.
Irene Franco Rubio, Arizona State University - USA
The Millennium Fellowship program gave the opportunity
to really dive in and discover why I am deeply rooted in
activism and what the purpose of making historically
underrepresented voices was really all about.
Denise Van Heerden, University of the Western Cape - South Africa
My project would not have come this far if it were not for the Millennium
Fellowship. Not only have I learnt the significance of engaging with my
community more, but the Millennium Fellowship has filled the gap in
my project and allowed me to apply alternative approaches by making
me more aware of global topical issues.
Oyinkansola Oluwasanjo, University of Lagos - Nigeria
The Millennium fellowship has played a lead supporting role in
the course of our project through the leadership skills learned,
from the training sessions which has so far, improved my
collaborations, and as well, I was able to move out of my
comfort zone to explore new things related to my project.
16
Mohit Kumar, Ashoka University - India
The Millennium Fellowship played an important role in
supporting my project as I collaborated with people across
the globe to take my project to next level.
CLICK ON THE FELLOWS NAMES TO LEARN MORE
of Millennium Fellows
recommend the program.
"I recommend this program to a friend who is in a
membership or leadership position similar to mine."
98.9%
Millennium Fellows at Babcock University, Nigeria
The Millennium Fellowship aims to build student leaders competency,
confidence, and promote collaboration and career exposure to the social
impact sector. We do this by providing students with specialized training,
connections, and credentials over the course of a semester. In order to
measure our program’s impact we present a compilation of the
evaluation findings for the Class of 2020 pre and post survey. This survey
was completed by all graduating Millennium Fellows. In the remaining
sections of the report, we share a summary of the survey results on all
components of the programs covering trainings, connections, credentials,
and career exposure.
OVERALL PROGRAM BENEFITS
"I didn't have much expectations when starting out the Fellowship, but by the end of it, I have
to say, it was well worth it and this initiative is an absolute gift to social impact workers
starting out." - Millennium Fellow at Model Engineering College, India
17
Hosanhy Africa, is a community-based organization, which spearheads
eradication of water-borne diseases in low-income areas and the rural
areas through public education on water treatment methods and
importance of observing proper hygiene always. Millennium Fellow, Njeri
Mburu, organized education sessions and worked to ensure individuals in
her community find ways to access clean water for cooking and drinking
as well as how to always maintain proper hygiene.
During the Millennium Fellowship, Hosanhy Africa was able to visit a
children's home in Kayole slum in Kenya, conduct a two-day sessions
prior to a tank installation, hold five sessions with children aged 5-16, two
sessions with youths age 17-26 and one session with adults. In total,
Mburu's initiative reached a total of 370 community members between
August-December of 2020.
Njeri Mburu - University of Nairobi, Kenya
Hosanhy Africa
Fellowship Project Spotlight
18
TRAININGS
Throughout the Millennium Fellowship, Fellows participate in 6 training
sessions. These sessions are designed to build the capacity and
sustain social impact projects and initiatives through creating and
producing fundamental organizational documentation, practical skill
building, facilitated peer feedback, networking, and reflection.
agreed that the Millennium Fellowship has
provided meaningful opportunities to reflect on
empathy.
agreed that their understanding of empathy,
humility, and inclusion has deepened as a result
of the Millennium Fellowship.
98.5%
of Millennium Fellows found the training
sessions and content useful for their leadership
development.
98.2%
of Millennium Fellows found the training
sessions and content useful for their Fellowship
project.
96.7%
The Millennium Fellowship gives students the opportunity to
deepen their values driven leadership and to learn to lead by
example - with empathy, humility, and inclusion as guiding
values.
Focus on Values-Driven Leadership
Overall Findings: Training Session
Millennium Fellows at Babcock University, Nigeria
20
94
%
6
%
92
%
8
%
95
%
5
%
86
%
14
%
97%
Gained the skills necessary to benefit
others through social impact as a
result of the Millennium Fellowship.
97%
Improved their management skills as a
result of the Millennium Fellowship.
98%
Have the leadership skills they need to lead
others in achieving social impact goals.
(19.28% increase from pre-survey)
95%
Agreed that Millennium Fellowship
provided skills that they would not have
gained at their university.
Millennium Fellows project at University of Benin, Nigeria
21
Six Millennium Fellows from Duke University joined forces with 10 peers
to engage people in action for climate change. The team launched
"YouChangeEarth", an interactive website, which seeks to answer the
"What can I do about climate change?" question. The Fellows are building
a resource that makes it easy for individuals to find impactful projects
that reduce carbon emissions and drive sustained engagement with
climate issues.
Their goal is to help 2 million people start their own climate journeys, and
funnel them toward the impactful actions our world needs for a
sustainable future. Over the course of the Millennium Fellowship the
team put in hundreds of hours to finish the development and operations
of the website.
Abhinav Jain, Ansh Nanda, Saad Ibrahim, William James,
William Reynolds, Kiran Wijesekera - Duke University, USA
You Change Earth
Fellowship Project Spotlight
22
CONNECTIONS
Millennium Fellows develop new connections by establishing a
Fellowship cohort on campus, being a part of the MCN global
community, engaging in facilitated peer feedback process, global
webinars, and networking opportunities inherent to community
work.
92
%
8
%
90
%
10
%
Consider their peers - other Millennium
Fellows - an important part of their future
professional network.
Have built new relationships with their
peers through this program and feel
strongly connected to peers on campus
who are also doing social impact work.
97%
96%
"The Fellowship played a three-fold role in supporting my project:
imparting necessary tools, providing a network of global leaders I could
leverage, connecting me to passionate young leaders with brimming ideas"
Tejashwini Prashar, University College London, UK
Millennium Fellows at Sciences Po, France
24
Andrew Gasnolar
SIGA Group
Sam Vaghar, MCN
Feba Cherian, Millennium
Fellowship 2019 Alumna
Tolani Odukoya, Millennium
Fellowship 2018 Alumnus
Cassie Crockett
Schmidt Futures
Sam Gill
Knight Foundation
Erika Amoako-Agyei Stanford
- SEED Coach
Rachel Gerrol, NEXUS
Natascha Saunders, The
Youth Career Coach Inc
EXPLORE THE WEBINARS
The Millennium Fellowship Webinar series was designed as an
intergenerational dialogue to inform and inspire Millennium
Fellows. For 45 to 60 minutes, Millennium Fellows engage with
professionals that work or engage in the social impact sector.
In 2020, we had a total of 2,461 attendees for our live global
webinars.
MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP WEBINAR SERIES
Class of 2020 Global Webinar Speakers
Rakesh Rajani
Co-Impact
Pia Infante, The Whitman
Institute
Thiago Esslinger, Millennium
Fellowship 2019 Alumnus
Abigail Oppong, Millennium
Fellowship 2018 Alumna
Karen Keating Ansara
Ansara Family Fund & NEID
Susan Finegan, Mintz
La Neice Collins
United Nations
Ines Esteban Gonzalez
UN Women
Matthew Patsky, Trillium
Asset Management
Raphael Obonyo
Public Policy Analyst
26
This year, we piloted a weekly conversation hour for Millennium
Fellows. Every Saturday, Millennium Fellows from around the
world convened virtually for 60 minutes to discuss a particular
SDG. Most of the conversations focused on the impact of
COVID-19 on the particular Sustainable Development Goal, and
the role that young people, including Millennium Fellows, play in
addressing these challenges.
WEEKLY SDG CONVERSATION HOURS
"[The SDG conversation hours] made me think about the SDGs in ways I
never have thought about before. I think discussing the SDGs through such
conversations is the most effective way to do so and will take that with me
going forward."
Rakshit Jain, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The webinars offered me first-hand experience of people
working in the social impact domain; their tips had a huge
impact not only on my project but personally as well.
Millennium Fellow Theophilus Venn started the Self Help Garden initiative
(SGHI) to promote home grown vegetables and herbs to improve the
quality of lives in his local community. Theophilus launched this initiative
to address the pandemics exacerbated impact on poverty and hunger in
his community. SHGI was designed as a result to meet the community's
nutritional needs and fight hunger, malnutrition, and illness through
access to fresh farm produce right from home.
SHGI initiative targeted women and girls under 15 years old. Through
events and sessions, SHGI was able to reach over 500 individuals and
support them as they learn more about nutrition and engage in home
gardening. Over 100 families have benefited from the initiative since the
project launch on August 2020.
Theophilus Venn - University of Benin, Nigeria
Self Help Garden Initiative (SHGI)
Fellowship Project Spotlight
29
CREDENTIALS
The Millennium Fellowship serves as a starting point for Millennium
Fellows to learn about social impact and gain experience advancing
the UN SDGs. Millennium Fellows receive a final certificate of
recognition from UNAI and MCN upon the completion of their
Fellowship requirement.
"I am more prepared to pursue a career in social
impact as a result of the Millennium Fellowship"
96.6%
Indicate all resources and/or opportunities you have
accessed as a result of the Millennium Fellowship:
Learned about new kinds of work in the social impact sector
Gained beneficial contacts for your project
Career knowledge about the social impact sector
Mentorship
Career advice in the social impact sector
Contacts with my university institution
Connections to global communities
Contacts with local initiatives
Contacts with local nonprofits
Financial support for your project or collective action
Contacts with local businesses
Connection leading to a part-time/temp. paid employment opportunity
Connection leading to a full-time paid employment opportunity
Other
81.23%
71.21%
67.17%
60.52%
55.13%
52.10%
44.87%
37.37%
33.59%
16.33%
16.33%
9.09%
4.38%
2.10%
(965)
(846)
(798)
(719)
(655)
(619)
(533)
(444)
(399)
(194)
(194)
(108)
(52)
(25)
Millennium Fellow Laiba Basit at NUST, Pakistan
31

Meet the Fellows

MORE VIDEOS PRESSFELLOWSHIP BLOG
Through the Millennium Fellowship website, each Millennium Fellow has
their own profile with their unique URL. This has served as a valuable
asset and a "digital profile" for Millennium Fellows to share their work and
network with student leaders, supporters, and funders.
Millennium Fellows were also featured on various social media outlets
through the Millennium Fellowship, university press, and other media
outlets around the world including NASDAQ, Al-Jazeera, among others.
Elevating the work of Millennium Fellows
32
95
%
5
%
90
%
10
%
Valued the Fellowship's Recognition
"Being a Millennium Fellow has elevated or made more
visible my project on campus or in my community."
Increased their confidence
"I am more confident that I can effectively contribute to
social impact goals as a result of the Millennium
Fellowship"
98%
97%
Millennium Fellows at Baylor University, USA
33
Millennium Fellow Ganesh Dileep at IIT Madras, India
advances SDG13 through the group initiative "Campus Climate
Coalition
Millennium Fellows at University of Ghana, Ghana
Millennium Fellow Sonika Poudel implementing her project
Thought for Food - adressing SDG 2 and 12
Millennium Fellow Leanne Agutu at the University of Nairobi
advancing SDG 2 through her project "PIDHO MIER"

"Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it was frustrating to not be able to connect in
person with my university cohort. Our Zoom sessions were great, but I would have
loved to sit down with them in person!"
FEEDBACK ACTION ITEM
Increasing the touch points between
Campus Directors on each campus
with HQ and other Campus Directors
around the world.
Increase Campus Director check-ins with HQ from
two to three required check-ins. Create a special
virtual town hall for Campus Directors to meet each
other and invite joint publications for Fellowship
blog. Create additional office hours monthly for
Millennium Fellows to check-in.
Create a formal Alumni Network to ensure
current and former Millennium Fellows can
easily network around shared passions and
professional objectives.
Should the training sessions continue
virtually, shorten the sessions to
avoid online fatigue and add more
interactive activities.
Reduce recommended virtual session length
from 2 hours to 1.5 hours and include more
icebreaker activities.
Ensure at least three webinars are held at
optimal times for Millennium Fellows in Asia
and the Pacific.
Engaging and connecting current
Fellows with Alumni of the
Millennium Fellowship.
Diversify the webinar times to be
inclusive of all timezones of
participating campuses.
35
LEARNINGS FOR 2021
A core facet of the Millennium Fellowship is building robust feedback loops to
learn from Fellows and refine the program. Millennium Fellows complete
comprehensive pre and post-program surveys. Based on the feedback of
Campus Directors and Millennium Fellows from check-ins and survey data,
here are areas for program improvement in 2021:
Afreen Javed, Indraprastha College For Women - India
The Fellowship journey has been a great learning
experience. From team work to entrepreneurship, there are
so many takeaways from this journey. Even though virtually
this year, this Fellowship became an amazing space to
connect with cohort fellows, fellows with similar mindset
and all the beautiful souls ready to bring about a change.
The Millennium Fellowship is a leadership development program
presented by the United Nations Academic Impact and MCN.
Learn more about the program at: millenniumfellows.org
Millennium Fellowship Class of 2020 Impact Report
Millennium Fellowship
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