Young Smart Cities (YSC) is an Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Cooperation Partnership in School Education that brings together eight partners with complementary expertise, under the coordination of the University of Siegen.
The project equips young people aged 12 to 18 with the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to contribute to the Net Zero Smart Cities of the future. In line with the European Green Deal, the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission and other key EU initiatives, YSC supports the next generation in engaging with Europe’s transition towards a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.
YSC places young people at the centre of this transformation. While students are highly connected and have access to vast amounts of information, many are still unfamiliar with the concept of Smart Cities and with the competences needed to help shape sustainable urban futures. YSC addresses this gap by connecting learning with real urban challenges and by making climate-neutral and smart cities tangible, relevant and actionable for students and teachers alike.
Through a problem-based and competence-oriented approach, YSC strengthens students’ understanding of climate change, the role of cities in achieving climate neutrality, and the technical, social and structural changes required for this transition. At the same time, the project develops key competences such as critical thinking, creativity, digital competence, collaboration and empathy, while reinforcing student agency, personal responsibility and active participation.
At the heart of the project is the YSC online platform, developed and tested together with students and teachers. The platform provides access to knowledge resources, learning tools, teacher training, collaborative spaces and real-world case studies supported by external stakeholders. Through Knowledge Pills, Learning Situations, Lesson Plans, skills-based resources and exchange opportunities, YSC supports multidisciplinary learning and helps students move from knowledge to action.
In doing so, YSC promotes Europe-wide exchange, social cohesion and active citizenship, while helping schools engage with the challenges and opportunities of more sustainable urban futures.