The Schools Challenge

Urban and eco-responsible challenges for lower secondary students

The Schools Challenge is a mentoring-based education programme designed to spark interest among lower secondary students in Seine-Saint-Denis in sustainable development and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It encourages them to take ownership of urban and local issues through hands-on project management.

Created by JPMorganChase, with the support and expertise of the Learning Planet Institute since 2019, the programme is rooted in the worlds of business and engineering and centred on urban and environmentally responsible challenges.

Over six months, supported by mentors from the Learning Planet Institute and JPMorganChase, students imagine and prototype projects for a more sustainable city. Across ten workshops, students and mentors bring ideas to life, demonstrating remarkable creativity and commitment.

For the 2025 edition, students took on a new challenge: designing an inclusive installation for school playgrounds in lower secondary schools across Seine-Saint-Denis. They explored the diversity of playground uses and imagined innovative, inclusive designs. The goal: to create a space where every student can fully enjoy their rights and benefit from an environment for play, relaxation and creativity within their school.

Program operated in France by the Learning Planet Institute and initiated by

Key figures

224
participating students
(including 45 in 23-24)
20
national education professionals
(including 5 in 23-24)
5
secondary schools involved in Seine-Saint-Denis
(including 2 in 23-24)
152
JPMorganChase mentors involved
(including 37 in 23-24)
30
prototypes created

Testimonials

The Schools Challenge changed my perspective on education. It is not necessarily repetitive and focused on memorising lessons (…) but much broader and more playful. I also changed my view on group work. I always thought I could do everything on my own, but today I know that teamwork is important — I would even say essential — and without my group, our project would not be as remarkable

Kryss

Student, The Schools Challenge

Thanks to this experience, I realised that I am capable of doing things I previously thought were impossible. I learned to express myself better, to listen to others more attentively, and to be patient. This programme also showed me that with motivation and determination, we can truly see through what we set out to do

Kahina

Student, The Schools Challenge

We also receive feedback from the students (…) about their ability to develop skills, to recognise them, and to feel proud of themselves

Lucas Gruez

Teacher

The aim of The Schools Challenge is to help these young people to reflect, at an age when they are beginning to become fully aware of the world and themselves. It's not a top-down transmission, but rather a springboard that we're trying to build for them (...) By asking themselves questions about the objectives of sustainable development on a planetary scale, the young people are at the same time positioning themselves as active participants in a local life that needs to be thought out and rethought (...) My greatest satisfaction has been to see the pupils surprise themselves!

Colin Labouret

Mentor, The School Challenge

The Schools Challenge operates in six countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil, India and Hong Kong.

In France, the Learning Planet Institute’s Youth Education team provides dedicated pedagogical support and has collaborated with JPMorganChase on this programme for several years.

The MakerLab at the Learning Planet Institute is made available for the final production phase of student projects.

Go further

Discover, Ideate, Build

The Schools Challenge is part of a broader set of complementary national and international youth engagement and education programmes run by the Learning Planet Institute.

Our youth programmes