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United Nations Association of the USA
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Sustainable Development Goals
- SDGs -
The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.
The Goals were adopted by all United Nations Member States in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which sets out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals and their related targets. Never before had world leaders pledged common action across such a broad and universal policy agenda.
The 17 Goals are interconnected, apply to all countries, and need to be carried out by all stakeholders – governments, the private sector, civil society, the United Nations system and others – in a collaborative partnership.
This year marks the midpoint of SDG implementation. However, on its current course, the world may miss many Sustainable Development Goals targets by 2030. For the first time in decades, development progress has stalled and even reversed under the combined weight of climate disasters, conflict, economic downturn and the lingering aftermath of COVID-19. The SDG Summit, held on 18 to 19 September 2023 at the UN Headquarters in New York is a unique opportunity for the world to pivot from crisis to development and deliver the breakthroughs needed to achieve the Goals.
The following series of icons illustrates the Sustainable Development Goals, each of which links to a more complete UN SDG narrative, bringing to life what the 17 Goals mean for people on this planet.
Click on the image below to view all the SDGs
St. Anthony Middle School-New Brighton, MN
Promotes UN-SDGs
at Year-end Capstone Project
This section is best viewed on a larger screen.
The St. Anthony Middle School (SAMS) in New Brighton, MN, held an 8th-grade capstone project at the end of May 2025, where students demonstrated how to promote community, as well as environmental change by creating a project supporting one, or more, of 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).
This capstone symposium, called “Knowledge to Action (K2A),” involves evaluating community issues, aligning them with a particular UN goal, and taking action with stakeholders to address root causes and evaluate outcomes. Students presented their work at a Capstone Symposium.
The projects presented were to promote community change as opposed to solely community environmental change. While many projects were environmental, there were plenty about equity, equality, and education as well.
This year, the Capstone Symposium took place on May 29, 2025. There were 150, 8th grade students, presenting 63 projects on various aspects of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The effort was led by Ms. Maya Kruger, 8th grade capstone supervisor.
Members of the Minnesota Chapter of UNA-USA attended, and these photographs show just a few of the students and their projects. We will return next year as these wonderful students demonstrated so amply their desire for positive societal and environmental change.
Congratulations to all the participating St. Anthony Middle School students.
UNA-USA/Minnesota is very proud of you. We hope to visit you again next year.
 8th Grade Capstone Supervisor, and Language Arts Teacher, Ms. Maya Kruger and son |  Ethan and Evan determined that the root cause of Silver Lake’s pollution were algae blooms that could be reduced by adding native plants to the shoreline that would protect the water from additional phosphorous and nitrates. They sought and earned a grant as well as approval from Threw Rivers Park Board to complete their project |
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 Annika and Vincent created and sold bracelets to raise money for people experiencing poverty. Additionally, they had a “make your own bracelet” activity for youth at our event. Annika’s money went to a homeless shelter and Vincent’s went to a food pantry. |  Karson and Ziad advocated for more sustainable roads in St. Anthony - their hope is that road repairs and new roads use an improved asphalt that, while more expensive, requires less maintenance and harmful chemicals over time. |
 Arla, Nora, and Kaylee wanted to support pollinators like the Karner Blue Butterfly which has had a massive decline. They determined that more resting spots would make their migration safer so they harvested prairie seeds from New Story Farm, then prepared them for small 2x2 plots that residents of Minnesota could plant in their yards throughout migratory zones. Restored prairie also benefits soil health and other species. |  Anders, Miguel, and Abdi engaged in a trash pick up at Silver Lake after their initial plan of creating borrowable trash pick up kits at Silver Lake was denied. |
 The auditorium was packed with students and visitors. |  No Poverty! The first SDG. |
The St. Anthony Middle School Capstone Projects were a huge success, as was demonstrated by the attendance.