Education and the SDGs: Bridging Youth Leadership and Non-Formal Education to Address Global Challenges

This paper explores how the Scouts for SDGs initiative, launched by World Scouting in 2018, exemplifies the transformative potential of non-formal education in addressing global challenges. It analyses how this initiative sustains local wisdom while fostering global citizenship and resilience. Drawing from lived experiences and global best practices, it also highlights the importance of re-imagining youth work and volunteer engagement models, providing insights into how Scouting fosters a lifelong continuum of learning, leadership, and civic participation in a rapidly evolving world. This paper was first presented at the 5th Commonwealth Global Youth Work Conference held from 17-19 November 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.