Stichting Together One World and SDG Nederland empower Dutch students to take meaningful climate and social action through their Connect for Global Change project My School Impact. By linking the global Sustainable Development Goals to students’ everyday lives—and sharing stories from young changemakers in the Global South—they inspire over 2,100 students to design practical improvements for their own schools.

What kind of projects do you normally work on?

“Stichting Global Exploration’s mission is to transform young people into global citizens. We do this by connecting young people around the world—on the one hand through global citizenship internships in Africa and Asia for secondary school students, and on the other hand by giving workshops about the SDGs. In this way, we make young people more aware and active in contributing to a more sustainable world.

SDG Nederland’s mission is to help achieve the SDGs in the Netherlands. We do this by bringing together organizations across the country, often across sectors. We focus on youth participation to actively involve young people in societal change.”

Why did you decide to submit a joint application to Connect for Global Change?
“Many young people grow up in an increasingly international world, but do not yet always have the skills to deal with that diversity and collaboration. When intercultural understanding, social responsibility, and global engagement are lacking, there is a risk of stereotyping, misunderstandings, and a sense of distance from major global issues.

That’s why we decided to join forces to actively involve Dutch youth in global challenges. We challenge young people to come up with concrete actions that make an impact at their own school. Together with the students, we work on ownership, engagement, and social responsibility.

‘By translating the (big) Sustainable Development Goals into the (small) everyday lives of young people, they get the chance to relate to peers elsewhere in the world, which increases their understanding of global challenges.’ – Imke Straaten”

How does the workshop work?

“During the workshops, Dutch students are inspired by examples of peers from the Global South who are already actively contributing to solutions for global challenges. This international connection provides a broader perspective and motivates students to make a difference themselves. We translate the (big) Sustainable Development Goals into the (small) everyday lives of young people. This makes it easier for them to relate to peers elsewhere in the world.

But the workshop goes beyond informing young people. We especially encourage them to take action themselves. This shows them that you don’t have to feel powerless in the face of global challenges. You can make a difference—starting at your own school.

We encourage this by awarding a prize to the winners. In November, the memorial wall and vegetable garden created by Said and Ahmad from the NT2 Mundium College in Roermond were selected as the winning project. The school has now received €1,000 and is getting to work to bring the idea to life. It’s a wonderful example of an initiative that connects, commemorates, and helps things grow.”

Now that the project is nearly completed, how do you look back on its implementation, and what are you proud of?
“The My School Impact workshop has grown into a great success in a short time. Schools across the country are participating and experiencing how powerful it is to actively involve students in creating positive impact within their own school. From May 2025 to March 2027, no fewer than 14 schools will take part in this workshop. This means that more than 2,100 students will submit around 250 ideas to make their school a better place for everyone.

We show schools what is possible when you give students trust and work together on meaningful education. Youth participation does not stop at submitting a project idea; it is important to challenge schools to involve young people in the project implementation as well.

For the future, we hope to reward even more young people for their creativity and engagement by increasing the prize money.”