Benefitting Society category

Griffith University’s ‘Making it Matter’ initiative uses the Community Internship and Partnerships for SDGs course to connect student learning with real-world social and environmental impact. The curriculum-embedded Work Integrated Learning model combines service-learning, community engagement and sustainability education, enabling students to contribute their skills to not-for-profit, public sector and social impact organisations.

Using the United Nations SDGs as the organising framework, students apply disciplinary knowledge to projects addressing issues such as food security, disability inclusion, mental health, homelessness, refugee and migrant support and environmental advocacy. The course transforms internships from workplace exposure into purpose-driven opportunities for meaningful social contribution. By strengthening organisational capacity, expanding equitable access to employability opportunities and building socially responsible graduates, the initiative delivers measurable benefits for students, partners and the communities they serve.

Griffith University – Community Internships and SDG Partnerships

Impacts & Benefits

  • Generated significant community value, with around 400 students contributing approximately 15,800 hours of professional support annually.
  • Supported more than 540 community organisations.
  • Delivered an estimated annual volunteer replacement value of $345,074 – providing skilled support that many organisations could not otherwise access.
  • Expanded equitable access to work-integrated learning, with strong participation from first-in-family, international, culturally diverse, First Nations and students with disability.
  • Built long-term graduate capability, developing systems thinking, sustainability literacy, ethical decision-making, civic agency and purpose-driven career development.

Leadership & Engagement

  • Integrated employability, sustainability and social impact, showing that career readiness and community contribution can be developed together.
  • Used the SDGs as a central curriculum framework, linking local community action with broader social, environmental and economic challenges.
  • Created a scalable, multidisciplinary model, available as a free elective to students from Arts, Education, Law, Business, Government, Health and Science.
  • Built reciprocal community partnerships, ensuring students gain authentic experience while organisations receive meaningful project, research and operational support.
  • Strengthened Griffith’s engaged university role, connecting academic learning, emerging talent and community need through long-term partnerships.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Strengthened community sector capacity, helping organisations progress services, research, advocacy, funding submissions and community initiatives.
  • Supported vulnerable and underrepresented communities.
  • Advanced environmental and social outcomes, through student contributions.
  • Created a multiplier effect through graduates, who carry sustainability capability, ethical practice and social responsibility into future workplaces and communities.
  • Demonstrated a transferable model for education and workforce development, relevant to universities, vocational providers, community organisations and government agencies nationally and internationally.
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Top 3 learnings

  • Purpose-driven internships accelerate employability, confidence, and professional identity through authentic community contribution.
  • Embedding SDGs develops systems thinking and helps students connect careers to complex societal and environmental challenges.
  • Reciprocal partnerships generate measurable value for students, organisations, and communities.

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Category finalists

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Benefitting Society category

Griffith University’s ‘Making it Matter’ initiative uses the Community Internship and Partnerships for SDGs course to connect student learning with real-world social and environmental impact. The curriculum-embedded Work Integrated Learning model combines service-learning, community engagement and sustainability education, enabling students to contribute their skills to not-for-profit, public sector and social impact organisations.

Using the United Nations SDGs as the organising framework, students apply disciplinary knowledge to projects addressing issues such as food security, disability inclusion, mental health, homelessness, refugee and migrant support and environmental advocacy. The course transforms internships from workplace exposure into purpose-driven opportunities for meaningful social contribution. By strengthening organisational capacity, expanding equitable access to employability opportunities and building socially responsible graduates, the initiative delivers measurable benefits for students, partners and the communities they serve.

Top 3 learnings

  • Purpose-driven internships accelerate employability, confidence, and professional identity through authentic community contribution.
  • Embedding SDGs develops systems thinking and helps students connect careers to complex societal and environmental challenges.
  • Reciprocal partnerships generate measurable value for students, organisations, and communities.

Impacts & Benefits

  • Generated significant community value, with around 400 students contributing approximately 15,800 hours of professional support annually.
  • Supported more than 540 community organisations.
  • Delivered an estimated annual volunteer replacement value of $345,074 – providing skilled support that many organisations could not otherwise access.
  • Expanded equitable access to work-integrated learning, with strong participation from first-in-family, international, culturally diverse, First Nations and students with disability.
  • Built long-term graduate capability, developing systems thinking, sustainability literacy, ethical decision-making, civic agency and purpose-driven career development.

Leadership & Engagement

  • Integrated employability, sustainability and social impact, showing that career readiness and community contribution can be developed together.
  • Used the SDGs as a central curriculum framework, linking local community action with broader social, environmental and economic challenges.
  • Created a scalable, multidisciplinary model, available as a free elective to students from Arts, Education, Law, Business, Government, Health and Science.
  • Built reciprocal community partnerships, ensuring students gain authentic experience while organisations receive meaningful project, research and operational support.
  • Strengthened Griffith’s engaged university role, connecting academic learning, emerging talent and community need through long-term partnerships.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Strengthened community sector capacity, helping organisations progress services, research, advocacy, funding submissions and community initiatives.
  • Supported vulnerable and underrepresented communities.
  • Advanced environmental and social outcomes, through student contributions.
  • Created a multiplier effect through graduates, who carry sustainability capability, ethical practice and social responsibility into future workplaces and communities.
  • Demonstrated a transferable model for education and workforce development, relevant to universities, vocational providers, community organisations and government agencies nationally and internationally.

Supported by

logo

Category finalists