Building resilience now and for the future: Adolescent skills to address global challenges

Abstract

SummaryMotivationYoung people's futures are at risk. Global crises such as armed conflict, climate change, mass displacement, and public health emergencies are threatening the education and wellbeing of adolescents all over the world. But young people are also resilient and innovative. It is vital that they have opportunities to develop relevant skills and knowledge, to build resilience, and overcome these challenges now and in the future.PurposeThis special issue brings together researchers and practitioners in the field of international education. Its purpose is twofold: to illustrate how current global challenges shape the types of skills needed to build resilience; and to offer possible solutions to supporting young people's development of such skills.Methods and approachThe articles in this special issue draw on both quantitative and qualitative data, including surveys and interviews with students, parents, teachers, school leaders, nonformal education providers, and government officials. Most studies present evidence from sub‐Saharan Africa.FindingsThe findings presented in this special issue address a range of skills, including foundational literacy and numeracy, hard skills in digital literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship, and soft skills, such as critical thinking, confidence, voice and agency.Policy implicationsWith the special issue we aim to draw more attention to the need for research and policy that equip youth with relevant skills and that see them not just as subjects of the challenges they encounter, but also as active agents of change. We also highlight the importance of an intersectional lens that addresses not just gender, but also other individual and household characteristics, such as student age, disability status, and poverty to support youth resilience and skills development.