On November 27, we celebrated the International Day of the Educating City with an event organized in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council.

We opened with the conference “Children’s Participation in the Educating City: Wish or Reality?” delivered by Cath Larkins, expert in child participation and professor at the University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom).

The day continued with the presentation of good practices from Turin, Geneva, and Rivas Vaciamadrid, and concluded with a space for debate and questions from the audience.

Fausto Sorino, head of the Youth and Community Development Office of the Turin City Council, focused on the Children City Council.

Isabelle Widmer, head of the Childhood Service of the Department of Social Cohesion and Solidarity of the Geneva City Council, explained various child participation projects ranging from participatory budgets in primary schools, to involvement in the design and improvement of parks, and the transformation and greening of school playgrounds. Later, she presented a survey on the midday break carried out by children and young people aged 4 to 18 to improve this service.

Finally, Lorena Chamizo Sánchez, head of the Department of Education, Childhood, and Youth of the Rivas Vaciamadrid City Council, spoke about the measures being adopted to make the Children’s Forum (aimed at children aged 6 to 12) more inclusive, explaining different actions carried out in Cañada Real, an informal settlement, to raise awareness of the Children’s Forum and encourage the participation of children from this community.

Nearly 200 people attended the event in person and online, which will soon be available on our Youtube channel.