Scouts for SDGs

On the 16th of November 2018, "Scouts for SDGs" was launched at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York – "an unprecedented mobilisation of our Movement that will see 50 million Scouts make the world's largest coordinated youth contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030".

How can we help?

In order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, we all have a role to play. This is where Scouting comes in. "Since its beginnings, Scouting has been enabling young people from every corner of the globe to create positive change in their communities, acting on challenges and needs at all levels of society. It uses an action-orientated, self-educational approach to contribute to the empowerment and holistic development of young people as autonomous individuals and active global citizens."

When we joined the programme in 2018, SCOUTS South Africa reviewed the Cub, Scout and Rover Programmes against the SDGs to assess how well the programmes then addressed the SDGs and whether members contribute by progressing through the programmes. Since then, the SDGs have been included in all our service projects and National Challenges for Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts, Rovers, and Adult Volunteers.

Show our impact & upload your project on Scouts4SDGs

The Scouts for SDGs platform collects all the projects and stories from Scouts around the world and reflects the total number of service hours Scouts are giving towards the SDGs worldwide. The platform also showcases the difference that Scouts are making in their various countries.

Are you a Scouter, a Rover, a Springbok Scout, a Pack or Den Scouter, etc. and have completed service projects? Click here for the Step by Step Guide on how to upload your Service Project onto Scouts for SDGs. Click here for the Scouts for SDGs Platform.

Challenges and badges

Cubs have long participated in an annual national challenge, and this model was extended to the other branches. Through the national challenges in consecutive years, selected SDG badges were launched.

In 2026, the theme of the national challenge is "Be Water Safe"
In 2025, the theme of the national challenge was "Our Heritage", addressing SDG 4, 10, and 11.
In 2024, the theme of the national challenge was "Health and Well-Being", addressing SDG 3.
In 2023, the theme of the national challenge was "Champions for Nature", which focusses on SDG 13, 14 and 15.
In 2022, the theme of the national challenge was "Scouts Go Solar".
Through the 2021 national challenge, badges for SDG 6, 7, 8 and 11 were introduced: Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Sustainable Communities.
Through the 2020 national challenge, badges for SDG 5, 13, 14 and 15 were introduced: Gender Equality, Climate Action, Life Below Water, and Life On Land.
Through the 2019 national challenge, badges for the first four SDGs (1, 2, 3 and 4) were introduced: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being, and Quality Education.
To increase the role of SSA even more, the "SDG Champion badge" was introduced for Scouts, Rovers and Adults in 2019.

Challenges from previous years can still be tackled.

Additional activities related to the SDGs:

Impact Innovators Challenge
Tide Turners Plastic Challenge
Messengers of Peace
'Be Water Safe' Cub Facilitator's Guideline - Supported by the Jaryd Payne Foundation
Advancements as part of the Meerkat, Cub, Scout (First Class and Springbok) and Rover programmes, including all service projects.

Additional resources

Artwork: