What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 goals with 169 specific targets created by the United Nations (UN). All 191 UN member states pledged to try to reach these goals by 2030 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a document that, according to the UN, “provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” More information about each SDG can be found on the UN Website.

At the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Youth Summit, students use these 17 goals and 169 targets to better understand current events in the local DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) community. These goals are often intertwined; students learn to see the intersectional nature of both international and domestic affairs. Through workshops, speakers and activities, SDG Youth Summit participants will gain a clear understanding of how to look at current events and how they can affect change in their schools, cities and the DMV as a whole.