Young Smart Cities: A Fruitful Meeting in Florence’s Historic Conservatorio

On March 10th and 11th, the partners of the Young Smart Cities project met in Florence for an engaging and productive two-day meeting. The gathering took place in the beautiful and historic Conservatorio Santa Maria degli Angeli, a truly inspiring venue that provided an ideal backdrop for reflection, exchange, and planning.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on and consolidate the progress made so far in the project. All participating schools are now well-prepared to finalise their Knowledge Pills and to develop in class the selected learning situations, tailored to the urban challenges identified by students in collaboration with the local authorities.

Another key outcome was the finalisation of the skills training content, which will now be implemented in the form of videos to support teachers and students. These video modules will be designed to develop essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration—core competencies for young people engaged in shaping the cities of the future.

The partners also defined the structure and goals of the project’s blog, a central tool that will amplify and empower students' voices throughout the YSC journey. The blog will serve as a dynamic space for sharing experiences, reflections, and creative outputs, giving visibility to the students' engagement and their visions for smarter, more inclusive cities.

The Florence meeting not only helped consolidate the work carried out so far but also strengthened the shared vision of the Young Smart Cities initiative: empowering students to become active citizens capable of transforming their communities.