SDG Action Projects

Awarded Best Overall Project, for its meaningful contribution towards the SDG, exhibiting strong intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration and sense of community.

Targeting goal 12

Awarded the Creative solutions Award for the project’s high degree of interdisciplinary thinking to mobilize and engage communities to act on the SDGs.

Targeting goal 2

Awarded SDGs in Partnership for its outstanding collaboration and community engagement

Targeting goal 12

Targeting goal 2

Targeting goal 10

Targeting goal 10

Targeting goal 2

Targeting goal 12

Targeting goal 16

Targeting goal 16

Awarded Best Overall Project, for its meaningful contribution towards the SDG, exhibiting strong intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration and sense of community.

Targeting goal 1. 2. 3. 10. 17.

Food insecurity affects both developed and developing countries because population growth is positively correlated with food insecurity and water scarcity. Foodbanks are at the forefront of addressing food insecurity challenges and are crucial for many communities around the world. Group 4 partnered with Madawaska Valley Food Bank in Ontario as well as a digital company to help the Madawaska Valley community and surrounding communities within the Renfrew County in increasing exposure, marketing and accessibility for the Foodbank. Through an improved and accessible website platform that supports community members in need, volunteers and donors, Group 4 contributes to reduction in poverty, hunger and inequities and thus contribute to their health and wellbeing. 

Awarded SDGs in Partnership for its outstanding collaboration and community engagement

Targeting goal 6

Targeting the Sustainable Development goal 6 Clean Water, Group 3 created a resource for grassroots organizations contributing to the goals of water and sanitation for all by 2030. They identified, compiled and researched Case Studies of various water sanitation and management initiatives and issues worldwide (i.e. Canada, US and Brazil). Using secondary research, members created accessible infographics to illustrate their case studies which were collectively posted onto a public Microsoft Sway document.

Awarded the Creative solutions Award for the project’s high degree of interdisciplinary thinking to mobilize and engage communities to act on the SDGs.

Targeting goal 3. 17

In 2010, an outbreak of HIV and hepatitis C occurred in Cebu City, one of the largest cities in the Philippines. More than 50% of People Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs) tested positive for HIV, and 93% had an HIV/hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection. Public health authorities are aware of the need for harm reduction interventions; however, there is lack of political support. Group 5 aims to raise awareness among youth about the benefits of harm reduction as a means to reduce the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C among drug users. Their project provides a “toolbox” of awareness-raising and policy advocacy materials for harm reduction approach.

Targeting goal 8. 9. 12. 17

Bio-stimulants can help in achieving several of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing environmental impacts.

Overall, the use of bio-stimulants can contribute to more sustainable and resilient agriculture systems, which can help to achieve multiple SDGs simultaneously. However, it's important to note that bio-stimulants alone are not a silver bullet solution, and their effectiveness may depend on a range of factors, such as soil type, crop species, and application methods. A holistic approach that integrates bio-stimulants with other sustainable agriculture practices may be necessary to achieve the SDGs.

Targeting goal 2. 8. 12. 14

This project recommends the company invest in their customer education on sustainability efforts, improving traceability, and promote sustainable aquaculture to achieve some of the set-out SDG goals.

Targeting goal 1. 3

Although it is true that there are many non-governmental organizations that provide low-cost or even free health services, the information may not easily flow into the hands of those who need them the most. In this regard, we believe that this situation may be even more exacerbated in low resources countries such as the Philippines. Considering these gaps, we would like to introduce a website summarizing critical healthcare information to bridge this knowledge gap such that our target population can comprehensively grasp the necessary information required to make better-informed healthcare decisions at a low cost. 

Targeting goal 2. 3. 8. 12

This project developed a plan to reallocate CLV (Canes Loma Verde)’s food supply from restaurants to school programs, in a way that satisfies CLV’s mission and economic goals while concurrently contributing to this important issue. Our target is specifically to increase the number of schools that CLV provides by 3X in the next 5 years. Thus, enabling CLV to realize a profit and advance SDG number two by serving hungry school children through their programs.

Targeting goal 1. 3. 9. 17

The basic first aid project in rural Costa Rica hopes to bring basic and emergency first aid training, through a non-certificate-based program to communities. This project aims to teach young adults, and adults CPR, choking, and minor injury care skills in order to preserve life, in remote areas with a delayed emergency medical response. The goal of this project is to amplify voices and confidence of rural communities in Costa Rica that have identified gaps in health care response, due to delayed emergency response times, by giving them basic first aid training.

Targeting goal 6. 12

Through this project, we are targeting SDGs 6 and 12. We are aiming to raise awareness and encourage an open dialogue about the impact of fast fashion garment manufacturers on the environment and our own individual consumption of their products.

Targeting goal 1. 3

Homelessness is a critical issue that affects individuals and communities worldwide, and it has significant implications for individuals' health and well-being. This project is dedicated to exploring the link between homelessness and health, including social, physical, and mental health. The research involved in this project includes surveys and interviews with people experiencing homelessness, government and non-governmental organizations, news articles, and scientific journals.

Targeting goal 1. 3

This project aims to destigmatize poverty, within the context of Toronto, through knowledge sharing and promotion of resources. With the intention of taking a proactive approach to end poverty stigmatization, we must ensure that the next generation is well informed. By utilizing our educational and professional experiences in varying fields, we have created a well informed and comprehensive pamphlet that explains the complex discourse of poverty in a way that is palatable to a wide demographic including children, adults, and seniors.

Targeting goal 5

This project aims to create best practices and recommendations for policy development around gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a focus on ethical engagement with survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and the importance of women's embodied knowledge and personal experiences, this research seeks to inform the development of policies that prioritize survivor-centered and trauma-informed approaches. The project's goal is to ensure that the perspectives and experiences of survivors inform policy development, leading to more effective and equitable outcomes.

Targeting goal 6. 8

This project suggests that conducting a robust study of the cost of potential economic loss will spur the government to make policies that will enforce WASH facilities. Systematic documentation of WASH environment in informal workplaces. Evidence for action at policy and program levels is to be preserved by all agencies involved. National and International bodies address the very neglected issue of health inequity on a priority basis.

Targeting goal 4. 17

Newcomers and Refugees in Canada lack resources and knowledge to participate in the Truth and Reconciliation journey. This project aims to bridge the gap between Newcomer/ Refugees population and the Indigenous population by collaborating with BAM collective- Books, Art and Music to host an event “Bridging the gap between Newcomers, Refugees and Indigenous peoples' on March 5th. The event will host an interactive research study presentation led by refugee and Indigenous youth, live performances, creative workshops, networking opportunities, and more.

Awarded Best Overall Project, for its meaningful contribution towards the SDG, exhibiting strong intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration and sense of community.

PADS or the Promoting Access and Deconstructing Stigma is a project which aims to create meaningful discussions about periods and promotes the overall well-being of people who menstruate. Talking about menstruation and reproductive health is still taboo in some parts of the world. With the PADs project, Group 11 hopes to be able to advocate and support reproductive and sexual health education as well as provide equitable access to period menstrual products working alongside community partners - Laadliyan, a nonprofit organization located in Brampton for women, Software For Love, a non-profit organization whose mission is to give back to other non-profits through technology supports, and Poblacion V, a barangay/village located in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines.

Awarded SDGs in Partnership for its outstanding collaboration and community engagement

As a response to the targets of SDG 11.6.1- Solid Waste Management, Group 6 conducted research and implemented a community-based intervention to uphold solid waste management practices, such as the recycling behaviour of Filipino communities, specifically the youth. The Recycling Olympics was designed and piloted by the team with university students and community partners in the Philippines - University of the Philippines Haring Ibon (UPHI), a student-led organization committed to environment protection and Youth for Justice, Service, and the Environment, a youth-led organization found in Kalinga, a province in Northern Philippines.

A Collaborative Discourse and Curriculum Analyses for Quality Education

Awarded the Creative solutions Award for the project’s high degree of interdisciplinary thinking to mobilize and engage communities to act on the SDGs.

This group investigated the efficacy of global citizenship education (GCED) in the Philippines and in Sri Lanka using discourse and documentary-style research analysis. To understand the gaps in the educational system in GCED cross-culturally, the group examined the language communicated by academics, public policy stakeholders, and relevant figures implementing, advocating, or promoting the curriculum. And finally, Group 8 worked together on producing a working (draft) syllabus – one each for Sri Lanka and the Philippines - both informed by the socio-cultural contexts of the respective countries.

A Community-Based Participatory Approach

To contribute to SDG 11: Sustainable communities, the project team targeted participation rates in climate change mitigation by introducing climate-smart solutions and raising awareness of water-related disasters as a consequence of climate change in the University of Philippines – Mindanao campus community. The climate-smart solutions include replacing the existing facilities with a central water fountain running on solar power with extra features, a climate-smart water shower, and solar gas stoves for canteens. The study and reflections on the implementation provides strategies and prototypes for adopting climate-smart solutions to the existing activities to make the campus green and involve communities towards climate change mitigation.   

This project addressed SDG 16: Peace and Justice by designing a webinar to share the t the importance of peace and the different conflict resolution skills that they can apply in their communities to prevent any conflict or misunderstanding. This activity will specifically aim to learn conflict resolution skills, especially in the context of differing belief systems, and practice the skills learned in the workshop. In addition to the design of the pre and post-test to determine the impact of the webinar, the team will also be connecting with the International Peace Institute in search of community partners to co-design and deliver the webinar.

In this project, the team wanted to address SDGs 10: Reduced Inequalities and SDG 11: Sustainable cities, by thinking about: “How might we assist in funding small, sustainable businesses to grow and reach more space in the global market?” Through this question, the project team developed a business model for an online crowdfunding platform that performs on a global scale to connect investors with small, sustainable businesses all over the world. The platform’s operation will be supported by a team of business analysts who will conduct research and identify small, sustainable businesses in their respective areas to be featured on the site. It will also allow eligible businesses to submit their own applications or project ideas and vision to be qualified for funding opportunities on the platform. 

Reflecting on the alarming world-wide epidemic and personal experiences of the negative impact of suicidal ideation, this team created the Student Initiative towards Suicide Prevention (SISP) as a student-led that raises awareness about the current information available regarding suicide and suicide prevention. The goal of the project is to build a stronger community through storytelling incorporating the principles of sustainability. We are committed to reaching people who are affected by suicide, know someone who might be thinking about suicide, and/or have suffered losing someone through suicide,  regardless of where they are in the world.

The community-based participatory approach is useful to solve the local issues of the communities. It is the best solution when one policy does not fit all. It is also felt that when communities are empowered they take ownership of the issue, encouraging them to invest their best efforts toward solving their own problems. Given this notion, the present study proposes a research design to identify community-level participatory approaches to solve the issue of water poverty in the Southern and South-Eastern parts of Rajasthan, India. Positive impacts of the intervention phase will include an increase in income by requiring less time to collect water thus allowing more productive activities, low dropouts among children, and reduction of water-related diseases, among others. Overall, the outcome of the full program of research and intervention would be many steps towards sustainability through the capacity building of communities and governance partners in solving their own problems while conserving the environment.

One of the targets of Sustainable Goal 13 (Climate Action) is to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of countries against climate-related hazards while fortifying the climate discussion through effective science communication. In response to this, the team examined the sociological aspect of the climate emergency and engages its students to actively contribute in formulating a feasible solution as manifested in its Climate Change Solutions Park and the campaign for the attainment of carbon neutrality by 2049. This project aims to introduce indoor plants into the York University campus, to improve air quality at the grassroots level.

Focusing on SDG 4: Quality Education, the project is concerned with what skills, knowledge, and awareness taught in the IT and technology sector. More specifically, through computational thinking, education about Programming can become more accessible and affordable for students from diverse background. To achieve this, the project will create a well-researched database of resources about computational thinking, with “computer-free” learning. The project aims to partner with local organizations in Bangladesh to deliver customized workshops to encourage students to learn about Programming.

Project Lead: Raisa Zerin Arshi

Project Mentor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tze Ying, Head of the Centre for American Education, Sunway University, Malaysia