Developing global citizenship and diplomatic competencies: High school students’ engagement with the sustainable development goals

Youth engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a central component of global citizenship education and the advancement of sustainable development. This study investigates how high school students conceptualize youth engagement with the SDGs within a skills-based diplomatic training program. The research focuses on students' motivations, perceived competencies, and the roles of key social actors in facilitating such engagement. Employing a qualitative research design, data were collected through group-based reflective projects and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that students frequently identified good health as a foundational condition for participation in education, employment, and community life. Leadership and diplomatic competencies were regarded as essential to students' understanding of global citizenship and their ability to contribute to SDG-related initiatives. These competencies encompassed communication, negotiation, cultural understanding, problem-solving, and teamwork. Participants identified educators, governments, and non-governmental organizations as institutional enablers, while parents were primarily viewed as value-oriented and contextual supporters. Rather than offering causal explanations, students’ reflections highlight which SDGs, competencies, and support structures are most salient in a structured educational context. The study provides context-sensitive insights into global citizenship education and underscores how skills-based training and cross-sector collaboration can support informed youth engagement with sustainable development.