Saint John Teen Tackles 17 UN Goals Before 17th Birthday

A high school student from Saint John, New Brunswick, is on a mission to address all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before her 17th birthday. Grace Totten, a Grade 11 student at St. Malachy’s Memorial High School, is undertaking this ambitious challenge with less than 140 days remaining. Her initiative, named 17 by Seventeen, aims to engage the local community in meaningful actions aligned with the UN’s global goals.

Grace, who turns 17 on June 24, 2025, originally considered organizing a fundraiser. However, after a conversation with her mother about her upcoming birthday and the 17 goals, she decided on a broader approach. “It’d be cool to just do separate little events, with a couple big events as well, to work towards these goals in my community,” she explained.

The UN established the 17 sustainable development goals in 2015, setting a deadline of 2030 to tackle issues such as poverty, hunger, and climate change. As of now, Grace has completed seven goals, while five more are currently in progress. Her actions thus far include organizing clothing drives for No Poverty and preparing meals for the homeless in partnership with Street Team Saint John under the Zero Hunger goal.

Inspiring Youth Across Canada

A significant aspect of Grace’s project is to inspire other young people to take action in their communities. “The bigger idea behind 17 by Seventeen is to inspire youth across Canada, and eventually globally, to do similar actions in their communities,” she stated. To broaden her impact, Grace has recruited youth representatives from various provinces in Canada, as well as from Argentina, to join her cause.

One of her notable achievements includes organizing a beach clean-up at Dominion Park Beach to fulfill the goal of Life on Land. Grace initiated this project in September 2025 but also incorporates previous initiatives, planning to re-do actions from before the official launch of 17 by Seventeen. Among these, her Cardboard for Kitty event will take place again in May, where teams compete to build cardboard cat houses for Red Head Strays Rescue.

Grace is also working with experts from N.B. Power and Saint John Energy to host a panel at her school, discussing affordable clean energy and sustainable cities. Brad Stevens, principal at St. Malachy’s, emphasized the importance of such discussions for all students, stating that Grace’s initiative allows students to engage with crucial contemporary issues.

Mobilizing Social Media for Change

To further her project’s reach, Grace has developed a social media hashtag aimed at encouraging others to take similar actions. “A lot of people, like 16-year-olds, 15-year-olds, 17-year-olds, see these problems and think, ‘I don’t know how I, as one person, can make a change,’” she noted. Her goal is to demonstrate that individual actions can indeed lead to meaningful change.

Grace believes it is crucial for young people to engage with the UN goals, as these initiatives aim to improve the future for today’s youth. “I feel like youth voices are starting to be heard more than ever, so it’s important that we step up now rather than later,” she concluded.

Through her efforts, Grace Totten is not only working towards the completion of the UN SDGs but also inspiring a new generation of young leaders who are committed to making a difference in their communities.