Against the theoretical background of world society and learning challenges related to globalization processes the article deals with empirical findings from two qualitative-reconstructive studies on learning experiences of young people. The first is a study on young people in Germany engaged in child sponsorship programmes for children in the Global South and the second a study on learning experiences of young people in Bolivia, Germany and Rwanda who participated in North-South encounters. Beyond their specific thematic focuses, these studies reveal the challenges of abstract learning regarding complex issues in world society on a more general level. The findings indicate the limits of solely informal learning opportunities regarding global issues and consequently point to the relevance of formal learning. In the discourse on global learning in schools, geography education plays an important role and is often considered a key subject with regard to teaching the global dimension. The article addresses the challenges of geography education in enabling learning processes regarding global issues.