The body of knowledge describing youth in agri-food systems is growing. However, there is a notable lack of evidence and studies explicitly related to the status of young people in fish-dependent communities, or the roles young learners, educators, and schools play in the realization of sustainable small-scale fisheries and aquaculture. The primary purpose of this exploratory literature review is to address this gap. This review will inform the development of an experimental common worlds curriculum that utilizes FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, or the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines, as a pathway for young learners from SSF communities to explore their relationships with their aquatic environments, communities, and social-ecological resources in playful, creative and actionable ways.