"I'm crazy about journalism, as I love being able to open people's eyes to unique events and powerful ideas in the world around them."
"Actions in Spotlight has encouraged me to learn more about why these inequalities exist and how society can resolve them through the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals."
"Actions encourages other young people to learn more and speak out for the causes they support; our voices will be heard."
"Actions in Spotlight has encouraged me to learn more about why these inequalities exist and how society can resolve them through the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals."
"Actions encourages other young people to learn more and speak out for the causes they support; our voices will be heard."

Nonfiction in response to Partnerships for the Goals
May 2019
When I was little, my teachers taught my peers and me skills like adding and subtracting, reading and writing. They also taught us other skills like sharing with each other, talking about our problems, and negotiating solutions. These are basic principles...
By Georgia Bernbaum
May 2019
Nonfiction in response to Partnerships for the Goals
To achieve all 16 goals, the United Nations put forth the 17th goal which encourages collaboration between public and private sector to achieve the goals.Schools, public or private, play an important role to help achieve this 17th goal. They should prepare the future...
By Grace Muresan
Nonfiction in response to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
September 2018
Efficient Infrastructure:
Sponge Cities
By Karen Wu
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Infrastructure is an important component to a functioning society--according to the UN, good infrastructure can help people achieve social and economic success. However, the infrastructure we build must be efficient and built to meet people’s needs.
One of the issues commonly faced around the world is lack of access to water. According the UN, almost 800 million people worldwide face this problem. So how can infrastructure help solve this problem?
Not only can the water supply system be improved, but even buildings whose primary purpose is not water-related can be used to collect water. Meet “sponge cities”: an initiative launched by China which seeks to allow areas in the city to absorb and recycle rainwater. Rather than only having the typical sewage system for water collection, this initiative works to allow other features of cities to be able to collect water. Typical constructions for this initiative include scenic wetlands and permeable pavements for storing rainwater and rooftop gardens that can increase food production and take advantage of rainfall.
This initiative is beneficial because the buildings not only provide infrastructure that is much-needed in some places, but also recycle water. Furthermore, the sponge city initiative can help prevent flooding. It has already been proved to be effective in Xiamen city and Wuhan city during heavy rainfall.
While China’s initiative only includes urban areas, this project can be extended to rural areas, and even worldwide. Sponge cities might be more effective in some countries than others, but all countries should think of ways to make their infrastructure more efficient to support the needs of their population.