A student from the Korea International School has been crowned winner of Monash University’s Change It Challenge in South Korea.
Jungyeon (Jennifer) Park impressed judges with her presentation on the adverse effects of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and the significant contribution to rising greenhouse gas levels which contributes to overall global warming. Her pitch was to reduce meat production through an initiative called ‘Green Wednesday’ – a campaign to encourage people to eat plant-based meals every Wednesday, which she has already taken steps to promote in her own school.
Jennifer was one of five finalist teams who were challenged on how they would tackle and address these global issues. Their aim was to raise awareness of their chosen topic and encourage collaboration from other students in South Korea.
Yena Uhm and Gyeongbin Kim from Seoul Global High School, Minseo Kang, Jiyoon Baek and Sungeun Kim from Branksome Hall Asia, Jonghee Julie Park from Branksome Hall Asia and Jieun Kim, Kristina Kwon and Heeseo Han from Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages were the other competitors.
Jennifer’s reward is a trip to Melbourne where she will compete against other students from across the globe in the Monash University Change it Challenge finale event in February 2025.
The Change It Challenge aims to engage and inspire high school students to create meaningful change in the areas of climate change and thriving communities. Teams were encouraged to leverage education, research, innovation, and cultural transformation in their presentation to make a positive global impact.
Nikki Verdan, Marketing Manager (Global Campaigns) from Monash University, was one of the judges for the event. Ms Betty Chung, Education Services Manager at Victorian Government Trade and Investment (VGTI) South Korea (Seoul), provided support alongside Ms Emily Chung, Education Manager at Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) Seoul.
“The Monash University Change it Challenge is an opportunity to encourage students to look at how they can change the world for the better,” said Ms Verdan.
“The Challenge aims to engage and inspire students to tackle the challenges of the age and see the possibilities that await them in higher education and here at Monash.
“Monash University is committed to making a positive impact on the world so that future generations can thrive. Our academics, students, staff, alumni and donors make up a community of change makers. We’re looking to deliver this with scope, expertise, and partnerships to create change at a global level.”
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About us:
Monash is a modern, global, research-intensive university, delivering education and research excellence across our four Australian campuses, as well as our campuses in Malaysia and Indonesia. We also have campuses in partnership with universities in India and China, and offer immersive global programs including Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG), Monash Innovation Guarantee (MIG) and Research, Experimentation and Discovery (RED).
Contact details:
Andrew Groves
E: andrew.groves@monash.edu