29 IN FOCUS In its rst year, her pioneering SDG Junior Ambassador Program reached out to , primary students in Hong Kong and secondary students and teachers in the Philippines, focusing on topics from clean water to a ordable energy and climate action. In , working in collaboration with the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association, the theme was environment, health and well-being. She sees her city needs to work harder to change attitudes and values so as to address environmental issues, among them e ective policies on recycling and waste management. But she does not intend to leave because of this. “I plan to stay to make a positive di erence to my hometown.” As part of this ambition, she has continued to add to her own knowledge since her bachelor degree, earning a master’s in Sustainable and Environmental Design from Chinese University of Hong Kong, and now pursuing a doctorate in Environmental Policy and Education with the University of Bristol, UK. Meanwhile, further community activities continuously widen her impact. Samantha sits on Hong Kong government advisory panels on youth development and environmental programs, is a columnist, and social entrepreneur. “Raising awareness and inspiring others to implement the principles of sustainable development in their daily lives is the real way to create change,” she said. amantha KONG Wing-Man ( BEng in Chemical and Environmental Engineering) is years old and knows that the future of our planet depends on her and other young people. Since graduation, the tireless environmental education champion has become involved in an expanding range of areas in order to play her part in sustaining that future – and encourage more of the next generation to join her. In August , her endeavors were recognized internationally by the North American Association for Environmental Education, Global Environmental Education Partnership, and US Forest Service, when she was named among the world’s top changemakers under the age of in environmental education (“EE Under ”). Samantha makes her contribution in myriad ways. First, she has a full-time job in Hong Kong as an environmental engineer at SMEC Asia Limited, an international engineering and environmental consultancy. At weekends, the energetic Hong Konger provides environmental education to build understanding of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), set in . Samantha worked as a summer intern at the United Nations in New York in , at the time the SDGs were being negotiated. She initiated the lessons in to encourage youngsters to create and implement action plans to achieve SDG objectives. Champion of environmental education It’s time to motivate young people to prioritize sustainability Alumni Roundup S 2014 graduate Samantha Kong is inspiring the next generation to implement sustainable living. Samantha (front row, second right) with her fellow “EE 30 Under 30” awardees.
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