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 students engaged (including 45 in 2023–2024)
20 professionals from French Ministry of National Education involved (including 5 in 2023–2024)
5 lower secondary schools participating in Seine-Saint-Denis (including 2 in 2023–2024)
152 JPMorganChase mentors involved (including 37 in 2023–2024)
30 prototypes created

Testimonials

The aim of The Schools Challenge is to help these young people reflect, at an age when they are beginning to become fully aware of the world and of themselves. It's not a top-down transmission, but rather a springboard we're trying to build for them (...) By questioning 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 students surprise themselves!

Colin Labouret

Mentor

Thanks to this experience, I've realized that I'm capable of doing things I thought impossible before. I've learned to express myself better, to listen to others more attentively and to be patient. The program also showed me that, with motivation and determination, you can really see things through to the end.

Kahina

Student, The Schools Challenge

The Schools Challenge has changed my vision of education. It's not necessarily repetitive and focused on learning lessons (...), but much broader and more fun. I've also changed my vision of group work. I always thought I could do everything on my own, but now I know that group work is important, I'd even say necessary, and without my group, our project wouldn't be as great as it is.

Kryss

Student, The Schools 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.