SDG Stories – Empowering Youth Through Comics for a Sustainable Future

The Erasmus+ youth exchange SDG Stories took place from 12 to 20 September 2025 at the youth hostel in Freudenstadt, Germany. Organised by Youth+, it brought together young people from Germany, Serbia, Türkiye, Italy, Estonia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

The aim was to help young people understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and use art and storytelling to make these global challenges relatable and inspiring.

Global goals, everyday life

Young people have endless information, yet many feel far away from big issues such as climate change, poverty and inequality. SDG Stories showed that the SDGs are not abstract ideas: they are connected to everyday life and to the choices we make. Comics and visual storytelling turned complex topics into simple, powerful messages.

Learning through creativity

Every day combined learning, art and intercultural exchange. Participants learned about the 17 goals and how their countries address them, through games, storytelling sessions and digital art activities.

The highlight was the Comic Creation Lab, where participants designed short comics on gender equality, climate action and responsible consumption.

“It was amazing to see how art can make difficult topics easier to understand. We learned that a good story can reach people's hearts faster than any report.” – a participant from Estonia

Skills the participants built

• Creative thinking and communication, by turning ideas into stories and visual messages.
• Digital skills, with tools for comics and graphic design.
• Teamwork and intercultural understanding, in mixed groups from seven countries.
• Critical thinking about how small actions add up to global change.

From stories to action

The week ended with a public exhibition of the comics, open to the people of Freudenstadt, where participants presented their work and the messages behind it. Several national groups planned to share their comics online and run local workshops at home, teaching other young people how to use art for social change.