Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Awareness and the Level of Civic Engagement among Public Senior High School Students in Division of Olongapo City

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, underscore education as both a goal and enabler of sustainable development, yet empirical evidence on how SDG awareness translates into civic engagement among Filipino senior high school students remains limited. This study examined the levels of SDG awareness (social, environmental, and economic goals) and civic engagement (political participation, community service, and advocacy) among 123 Grade 11 and 12 HUMSS students through a stratified sample from four public senior high schools in Olongapo City (Mabayuan SHS, Tapinac SHS, Kalalake NHS, and New Cabalan SHS) during School Year 2025–2026. Utilizing an explanatory descriptive-correlational design and a validated researcher-made questionnaire, data were analyzed through weighted means, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H with Dunn’s post-hoc, and Spearman’s rho. Results revealed Very Aware levels across all SDG domains and High to Very High civic engagement. Significant differences emerged in social goals awareness and political participation by school (Kalalake NHS lower) and in political participation by grade level (Grade 11 higher). Strong positive correlations linked SDG awareness to civic engagement, strongest between social goals and political participation. The study concludes that heightened SDG awareness fosters civic engagement and recommends the institutionalization of the “SDG Spark: Ignite. Engage. Empower” enhancement program addresses identified gaps and strengthens youth contributions to the 2030 Agenda.