The 2024 World Affairs Challenge saw more than 800 students participate in coming up with solutions for pressing sustainability issues around the world. Hosted by WorldDenver, the challenge engages middle and high school students globally. Among the participants, middle schoolers from Mackintosh Academy in Littleton took second place for their project on building a community greenhouse at a neighboring day care center to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to young children.
Mackintosh student Jessie Miller explained that their project aimed to tackle malnutrition by addressing the lack of access to healthy food. She emphasized that malnutrition is not just about the quantity of food but also the quality and nutrition content of the food being consumed. In the high school category, students from Christ the King College in Onitsha, Nigeria secured first place by creating a digital comic series to raise awareness about sustainable farming practices and combat food insecurity.
The World Affairs Challenge is actively seeking to include more Colorado students and is collaborating with social studies teachers to involve students in the program. The curriculum is designed in alignment with state social studies standards to ensure educational relevance and engagement for participants. Anna Alejo, the Executive Producer of Community Impact at CBS News Colorado, emphasizes the importance of promoting diverse voices and community engagement in news programming to foster grassroots relationships and create original content at the neighborhood level.