August 12, 2025 is International Youth Day, a global reminder of the powerful role young people play in shaping our shared future. This year’s theme, “Youth and the Drive for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” celebrates how young people are leading the way to make change happen where they live.

There are 17 SDGs created by the United Nations to help make the world better by 2030. They focus on global priorities such as ending poverty, protecting the planet, ensuring well-being, education, and equality for all. Young people are not waiting for change. They are stepping up with courage and turning bold global goals into meaningful progress in their own communities.

But even the most passionate and driven young people need support. Behind every young person who thrives, there is usually a trusted adult who listens, believes in them, and builds a trusting relationship rooted in respect and care. So often, that person is a youth worker.

What young people need

To thrive as leaders, young people need more than resources or services. They need strong, supportive relationships. They need to feel safe, valued, and empowered. They need adults who understand them, challenge them, and care for them without conditions.

Youth workers help make this possible. Through consistent guidance, they help young people navigate life, build resilience, and discover what they are capable of. Youth workers turn intention into action and create space for growth. This is how you help bring the SDGs to life in real and lasting ways.

What you can do as a youth worker

Use this International Youth Day as a chance to reflect on how you can grow and strengthen your impact. Here are five ways to support young people more intentionally:

1. Connect local experiences to global goals
   Help young people see how their passions align with the SDGs. Whether it is reducing food waste, improving mental health, or building inclusive communities, guide them in turning their ideas into meaningful local action.
2. Create inclusive, welcoming spaces
   Inclusion starts with understanding. Use training like Intercultural Awareness Training to better engage with young people from diverse backgrounds. When everyone feels they belong, everyone has the chance to grow.
3. Invest in your self-development
   You are your greatest tool. Use Online Training for Youth Workers to expand your knowledge, build new skills, and deepen your confidence. Personal growth helps you support others more effectively.
4. Support youth voice and leadership
   Give young people a seat at the table. Invite them into decisions. Trust their ideas. Empower them to lead in ways that matter to them and their communities.
5. Show up with care and consistency
   Your presence matters more than perfection. Be reliable. Be kind. Listen fully. Even small acts of care build the trust young people need to thrive.

YIPA offers a great training called Cultural Intelligence in Youth Work. Non-members can learn more on our website. Members can access it for FREE through your YIPA LMS.

A shared commitment

International Youth Day 2025 is more than a celebration. It is a call to action. A challenge to every youth worker to rise, to grow, and to lead with purpose. Young people are stepping forward with courage and conviction to create the future they deserve. They need us to meet them there.

Let’s make that commitment together. Let’s do the work to be the best youth worker we can be. Because when we grow, they grow. When we show up with purpose, they find theirs.

And when youth workers unite in this commitment, everything begins to change. Communities get stronger. Opportunities expand. Hope takes root.

Be the youth worker who makes that possible. Be your best. For them. For all of us.