Leyla Morris, an accelerated D2 student in Landscape Architecture at Florida International University, has been named a winner of the SDG Challenge Miami 2025.
“Throughout my academic career, I’ve focused on sustainable design, ecology, and art. I hope to create designs that educate and immerse people, helping them recognize the beauty, history, culture, and ecological importance of the spaces around them.”
The SDG Challenge Miami is a regional college competition designed to mobilize companies, governments, organizations, universities, and students to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute to sustainable economic growth. Leyla collaborated with Florida Green Schools PTSA to develop a student-led initiative focused on reducing food waste through composting programs and eliminating single-use waste in schools.
Through this work, her team proposed actionable strategies that empower students to lead environmental change within their own educational communities—demonstrating how design thinking and sustainability can operate at both local and systemic levels.
Each participating student received a certificate from Accountable Impact and the CIFAL Miami Center–UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research). As members of the winning team, Leyla and her collaborators will attend a United Nations conference in New York.
Her achievement reflects FIU’s continued commitment to sustainability, community engagement, and global impact through design education.
