18 January 2022

Following the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Europe’s younger population, 2022 has been selected as the European Year of Youth. As “digital natives” and the most technologically integrated generation, strong technology is essential to today’s younger population. By incorporating technologically advanced solutions into their daily lives, they will be empowered to push new boundaries with technology in the future. The Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) Tech4Good Marketplace offers a range of such products and solutions.

Ventspils IT Challenge

The ICC city Ventspils (Latvia) has a number of youth-orientated solutions. The IT Challenge is the biggest Challenge for schools from all Baltic states and aims to scale up learners’ and teachers’ digital and computing skills. This international competition allows young people to demonstrate their skills in the creative use of technology. Through this Challenge, which is fully financed by the Ventspils Municipality, digital skills development for pupils takes place in 30 groups in 13 different areas. The topics of the competition are related to the contribution of technology in all areas of life, with special emphasis on natural sciences, engineering, mathematics and technology (STEM).

AccaDe Scuola

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a hybrid e-learning platform was developed for secondary vocational schools, with a local subsidiary company in the ICC Metropolitan City of Capital Rome. This solution allows a large number of virtual classrooms to be created using a videoconferencing system and shared virtual whiteboard. This inclusive solution ensures that students are actively engaged by using interactive quizzes, and provides for children with additional needs through offering on demand services and facilitation tools.

Clean Air School Districts Toolkit and App & Dashboard

Clean Air School Districts (CASD) Toolkit, app and dashboard are some of the many Tech4Good Marketplace offerings that supports youth in schools. The app and dashboard use sensors in classrooms to monitor the Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) and Outdoor Air Quality in order to improve the school's indoor environment quality. They are complemented by an educational toolkit which involves an interactive workshop before, during and after the setup of sensors for teachers and students to help them understand the value and meaning of real time measurements.

Through further science activities and experiments, the toolkit uses the STEM approach to inspire and challenge students to understand air quality issues and raise awareness on long term exposure to poor indoor air quality. Teachers are also provided with education tips and materials such as flash cards on outdoor and indoor air quality to feed into the curriculum.

The ICC encourages innovators to share more products and solutions specifically targeted at the young population on the Marketplace during in this European Year of Youth! Cities or enterprises can upload solutions and products to the Marketplace here.