2018 – University of Illinois students in the Fall program participated in the Rise for the record – Rise against Hunger event on World Food Day. We co-organized the event together with our partner Rise Against Hunger Italy. to show our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 #ZeroHunger. The event simultaneously took place in 10 different locations around the world and involved 500 volunteers who assembled the ingredients that made up the Rise Against Hunger meals destined for school programmes around the world.
2018 – University of Illinois students in the summer program participated in an interactive event ‘SDGs For All Majors’ along with students & professors from various departments & universities. The event was part of the Festival dello Sviluppo Sostenibile, European Sustainable Development Week & CEREALIA La Festa dei Cereali
2017 – Two University of Illinois students attended the International Forum on Food and Nutrition in Milan as delegates of Universities for Fighting Hunger (UFWH) and participated in the Youth Partnerships for the SDGs workshop together with students from all around the world.
2015 – Two University of Illinois students were BCFN Young Earth Solutions competition finalists and worked on the drafting of the Youth manifesto at the Milan Expo. 10 University of Illinois students were able to witness this unique and memorable event.
2014 – Two University of Illinois students were among the 10 BCFN Young Earth Solutions competition finalist teams to present their ideas at the BCFN International Forum on Food and Nutrition in Milan. During the event, the students presented to all the senior leaders of the BCFN Foundation, to senior representatives of the global food organizations and to the worldwide audience of about 15,000 people watching via livestream. Their peers came from Indonesia, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey and China. They developed and submitted their project as part of a class assignment during their spring study abroad program at Gustolab International.
2014- Gustolab International Alumni of the 2014 Critical Studies on Food in Italy Summer Program, Hongjie Zhang from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Tiffany Watson of Mills College were announced as finalists of the 2014 BCFN Young Earth Solutions YES! Competition.
“Thanks to GLi, while I was studying in Rome in Fall 2015, I had two incredible opportunities to explore issues related to food waste and access in Italy. First, I was able to attend a panel presentation sponsored by Banco Alimentare, the national food bank. The event introduced a new app, BeeApp, that aims minimize food waste by improving communication between food stores and their local food bank. I was so fortunate to have Margherita accompany me to translate what was said! The next opportunity I had was to visit SIAF, a catering company in Bagno a Ripoli, a town outside of Florence, that is affiliated with the school next door to it. SIAF educates children about nutrition and engages them in making healthy meals so they and their families can make healthier food choices. SIAF also prepares and sells healthy dinners to parents who do not have the time or resources to make these meals themselves. The director, Antonio Ciappi, talked to me about this work that SIAF does and their larger mission, and he gave me a tour of the facilities. GLi arranged the entire visit; I couldn’t have done it without them! These opportunities I had to explore food access in Italy contribute to ongoing food justice research and work that I am doing in the United States. I’m very fortunate to have seized the chance to take my research international. Thanks, GLi!” 
Alex L.Student from Hobart and William Smith Colleges