Register Now: Youth Digital Collaboration for a Sustainable Planet- Innovating for Inclusive Cities

We are pleased to invite you to register for our upcoming follow-up event of the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum, titled Youth Digital Collaboration for a Sustainable Planet: Innovating for Inclusive Cities. Scheduled for February 5, 2026 (3:00 - 6:00 p.m.) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, this gathering will bring together young innovators, educators, and global partners for an engaging exploration of how digitally connected youth can help shape more sustainable and inclusive cities.

During the event, student teams from several countries, including Cameroon, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, will share the ideas and solutions they developed through virtual exchange, intercultural dialogue, and collaboration across time zones. Their projects will showcase how digital tools and shared learning environments empower young people to think boldly and act collectively.

In addition to youth presentations, representatives from UN Member States, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector will join the discussion. They will offer reflections on the opportunities and challenges of supporting youth-led innovation, and on how partnerships across sectors can translate emerging ideas into meaningful progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

This will be an inspiring moment to hear directly from students about what drives their work, what they’ve learned from collaborating globally, and how they imagine a more inclusive future. The session will also invite participants to engage directly with the solutions and recommendations from students and experts, and to explore how these insights can be applied, adapted, or further developed within their own contexts.

To take part in this exchange of perspectives and help spotlight the creativity and leadership of young people worldwide, we encourage you to register using the link below by Thursday, January 22nd in order to secure a seat and join us for this impactful session!. We look forward to welcoming you to an afternoon of thoughtful dialogue, fresh insights, and shared commitment to building more sustainable cities for all.

🗓️ Date & Time: February 5, 2026; 3:00 - 6:00 pm EST (New York)

🏛️ Location: ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters

✅ Registration: bit.ly/iYouth-reg

📄 Brochure: bit.ly/iYouth-pg (updates forthcoming)

**Registration will close following seating availability. If seating remains, registration will continue through February 2nd, 11:59pm EST.

#IVECA #ECOSOC2026 #Youth2030 #SustainableCities #GlobalCitizenship #DigitalCollaboration #SDG11 #Partnerships

[IVECA Save the Date!] The UN ECOSOC Partnership Forum Follow-Up Event 2026: Youth Digital Collaboration for a Sustainable Planet

🗓 Date: February 5, 2026 

⏰ Time: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm EST  

🏛 Location: ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations HQ in New York 

🌐 Theme: Youth Digital Collaboration for Sustainable and Inclusive Cities

Cities are places of possibility. They are where cultures meet, ideas circulate, and daily life unfolds through shared spaces, services, and connections. They are also where global ambitions, on sustainability, inclusion, and equity, are tested most directly in people’s everyday experiences.

Against this backdrop, and building on ongoing UN policy discussions following the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum alongside the Commission for Social Development, this event engages with priorities reflected in the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and UNESCO’s work on Global Citizenship Education. It highlights how young people, connected through digital collaboration, engage with these global agendas by examining challenges rooted in their communities.

During the program, secondary school and university students will present youth-led projects developed through virtual exchange and intercultural collaboration. By addressing challenges such as sustainable water and energy systems, inclusive public spaces, and digital inclusion, these initiatives demonstrate how meaningful youth engagement can drive innovative, locally grounded approaches to sustainable development. The event will also show insights from representatives of UN Member States, the United Nations system, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The discussion will focus on listening to youth perspectives and exploring opportunities to strengthen partnerships that can translate promising ideas into tangible impact.

We invite you to join us for an afternoon of fresh thinking, cross-cultural exchange, and forward-looking collaboration. If you are eager to see what the next generation envisions for our shared planet, and how digital connection can help make those visions possible, this is the moment.

More details to follow. Please save the date!

#IVECA #ECOSOC2026 #Youth2030 #SustainableCities #DigitalCollaboration #GlobalCitizenship #InclusiveFutures #PartnershipsforSDGs

2025 IVECA Global Youth Mentorship Program: STEAM for Sustainability

The 2025 IVECA Global Youth Mentorship Program (iGYMP) Live Class, themed “STEAM for Sustainable Cities,” capped off a semester of shared learning between university mentors from the United States and high school students from South Korea. Exploring global challenges through the lens of education, dialogue and collaboration, the mentors from New York University, City University of New York and Anderson University (South Carolina) and students from Noeun High School in Daejeon highlighted how interdisciplinary learning can empower youth to connect local issues to global solutions. 

For Korean students, the Live Class offered a rare chance to engage with global peers in a personal and meaningful way. They shared insights into community challenges while reflecting on sustainability, inclusivity, and everyday experiences. Their presentations addressed several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including water quality within schools (SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation), equitable transportation for disabled citizens and the consequences of illegal parking (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure), and sustainable energy use within their homes (SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy). Although the topics varied, a common thread emerged across all presentations: a strong sense of social responsibility, awareness of shared public spaces, and the role of everyday habits in shaping more livable cities. As one student noted, “simply put, it is much more effective to carry out projects that solve everyday inconveniences and save the environment at the same time.”

Continuing the exchange, the youth mentors shared their perspectives on local challenges in the United States, illustrating how STEAM-based approaches can translate ideas into practice. Through locally grounded yet broadly relevant examples, they demonstrated how innovation, science, and data intersect with safety, inclusivity, and social responsibility. Mentors from Anderson University focused on homelessness in their county, proposing a community-led “Haven” designed to support individuals in need (SDG 1: No Poverty). The NYU group explored ways to integrate STEAM learning into local schools, using city planning and traffic safety education to reduce pedestrian accidents (SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities). Meanwhile, mentors from CUNY examined the effects of climate change and aging infrastructure in New York City, drawing attention to the cost of persistent flooding in the MTA subway system (SDG 9). As one mentor explained, “Subway flooding is not just an infrastructure problem but an economic one.”

Marking the significance of this moment, students and mentors welcomed guest speaker Dr. Abraham Joseph, a senior expert in international economic policy with more than 30 years of experience at the United Nations and the Government of India. Praising students for connecting real-world problems to thoughtful, actionable STEAM-based solutions, Dr. Joseph emphasized how the students and their mentors have already begun the hard work of becoming global citizens. “I know that sustainable development succeeds when technology, policy, economics, and human needs are considered together. I was impressed that you did not look for quick answers. Instead, you examined root causes, considered inclusion, and proposed solutions that are forward-looking and practical, which are exactly the type of thinking future leaders need.”

Beyond presentations, the Live Class also created space for cultural exchange through student and mentor performances. Korean students shared a short video introducing their high school life, guiding mentors through familiar spaces such as classrooms, the cafeteria, student lounges, and activity areas, offering a glimpse into their daily routines and learning environment. In return, mentors shared snapshots of their own university lives, showing the diversity of their experiences. From scenic drives to work and early-morning football practice to moments of cultural celebration, including a Hanukkah gathering and the traditional Filipino parol Christmas lantern lighting, these performances underscored both the differences and shared rhythms of student life across countries and cultures.

Together, the Live Class reflected the core goals of the iGYMP: fostering intercultural understanding, strengthening critical thinking, and empowering young people to engage thoughtfully with real-world challenges. For the mentors, engaging with students also offered a moment of reflection and renewed perspective. As one mentor noted, “It is nice, as adults, to have that reminder, to keep on hoping and planning steps forward.” Through dialogue, collaboration, and shared experience, students and mentors demonstrated how education can bridge borders and inspire locally grounded, globally informed action.

#IVECA #VirtualExchange #LiveClass #YouthVoices #YouthforChange #Sustainability #India #USA #MiddleSchool #GlobalCitizenship #GCED #EducationforAll #Inequalities #ClimateChange #YouthManifesto #CommunityWellbeing