Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Futures Fellowship Cohort

RCE Greater Atlanta logo.
The SDG Futures Fellowship is aimed at educating students about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), leadership, and professional development. This fellowship program spans the academic year and is open to college students from the 11 RCE Greater Atlanta affiliated higher education institutions (HEIs). 
 
This is a unique opportunity for students to learn more about sustainability challenges in and around Atlanta and around the world, as well as how communities can organize to tackle these issues. The application for the 2024-2025 cohort closed in October 2024. 

The following students were selected for 2024-2025 membership in this prestigious group:

  • Cherry Nallamalli - Georgia Tech
  • Genesis Price - Spelman College
  • Josef Rodriguez - Morehouse College
  • Karrington Garrett - Kennesaw State University
  • Mae Ratliff - Georgia Gwinnett College
  • Nneka Otuonye - Georgia State University
  • Ola Sade - Georgia State University

The cohort met for the first time in November.  They also took the Global DISC assessment to enhance their cultural and self-awareness, led by trainer Todd Shinholster of Culture Bridge.  Throughout the semester they will be working with the following community partners to impact a variety of SDGs in the Atlanta area.

2024-2025 Community Partners

  • Center for Sustainable Communities
  • Life Cycle Building Center
  • Morehouse School of Medicine: Center for Excellence on Climate and Environmental Health (CoE)
  • My Green Earth
  • Praise House Project
  • Re:Loom
  • Wundergrubs

SDG Futures Fellowship receives international recognition!

The SDG Futures Fellowship program is in its third year within the RCE Greater Atlanta and has already been acknowledged within the Global RCE Network as a Flagship Program. The recognition was announced at the 13th Global RCE Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The award honors RCEs "who have made outstanding contributions to address local sustainable development challenges in their regions."

Fellowship Background

The SDG Futures Fellowship grew out of Kennesaw State University’s Distinguished SDG Ambassador Program. The program fostered youth leadership by teaching students about the SDGs through local and global case studies and action projects with community partners from the Global RCE Network and RCE Greater Atlanta. The Fellowship is co-led by Georgia Institute of Technology and Kennesaw State University, in partnership with the other HEIs within the RCE Greater Atlanta network.
 
The Fellowship provides a minimum six-month leadership and professional development experience for a select group of students enrolled in RCE Greater Atlanta HEIs.  The RCE Greater Atlanta is a network that is acknowledged by the United Nations University and has been successfully operating since December 2017 with many partnerships in place. RCE Greater Atlanta aims to advance the SDGs through an equity and justice lens model for inclusive and collaborative communities, while nurturing strong youth leaders.  
 
The fellowship program uses the SDGs and the Global RCE Network as a framework for problem-based learning focused on local sustainability challenges. In addition to preparing students to pursue careers that have an impact or incorporate SDG impact into other fields of work, the program promotes long-term partnerships between Fellows, community-based and nonprofit organizations, HEIs, and the RCE Greater Atlanta network. 

The fellowship commits to: 

  • Educating students about the UN SDGs through a justice and equity lens
  • Exposing students to SDG-related problems and solutions both locally and globally  
  • Training students to advance the UN SDGs in their daily and professional lives
  • Helping students incorporate “impact” into their definitions and pathways for career success 

For inquiries, please contact KSU's SDG Futures Fellows partners: The Office of Sustainability and the Office of Global Education.

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