Information for term Smart Cities and Sustainability
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenBe part of cutting-edge innovation in Amsterdam, a smart city and world leader in fighting climate change.
Cities have a huge impact on the environment—they use 60% of global energy and produce 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In Amsterdam, discover the inner workings of a smart city. Witness how urban planning and technology can help lower use of natural resources, lessen impact on the environment, and ensure a good life for residents. Participate in Design Thinking workshops alongside other Global Navigators to define an urban issue, design and model a solution, and then present it to a panel of experts.
Amsterdam, one of three cities piloting the Thriving Cities Initiative, intends to become a circular city by 2050 in which everything produced and consumed is reusable. Hear from change-makers and experience exclusive tours of organizations and companies driving Amsterdam’s transition to a smart and circular city.
Soak in the Dutch way of life, too. Stroll along Amsterdam’s canals and parks. Join in on its bicycling culture with local teens. Visit colorful markets and taste traditional dishes like poffertjes and Dutch fries. On excursions, venture outside Amsterdam to explore city planning in cities like Almere, Utrecht, and Rotterdam.
The Take-Aways
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Real-World Experience
Investigate Amsterdam’s smart city initiatives and try your hand at designing local initiatives that mitigate climate change. Come home with innovative strategies to apply in your community.
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Credentials for your Future
Topics for your college essays, experience to inform your future career, and a Project that addresses a climate change challenge.
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Life Skills and New Friendships
Return with greater self-confidence, independence, and improved communication skills. Enjoy a broader worldview and friends of different backgrounds from across the U.S.
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HOURS OF EXPERT INSTRUCTION
45 -
WEEKS PURSUING YOUR PASSION
3 -
LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
1
Location & Culture
Click to Open
The Destination
Welcome to vibrant Amsterdam, to its forward-thinking mindset and diverse culture.
Loaded with charm and architectural gems, Amsterdam has more bicycles than people and more canals than Venice. Living six feet below sea level, residents have always had to be water conscious, mitigating flood risks and promoting water quality. Climate change awareness is in this capital city’s DNA, making it the perfect place to learn how a city works to ensure that its people and the planet thrive.
One of the most picturesque capitals in Europe, Amsterdam is also the perfect place to enjoy outdoor music, art, theater, and food festivals. Wherever you go, you’ll find inviting green spaces and all kinds of museums from those housing masterpieces by Van Gogh and Rembrandt to quirky collections dedicated to cheese or cat culture.
Amsterdam is considered one of the most multicultural cities in the world with more than 180 nationalities represented. Centuries of respect, collaboration, and community have made it a safe, open-minded, and healthy place to live, one where you’ll quickly feel at home.
CULTURAL AWARENESS
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Amsterdam.
Daily Life
Click to OpenDaily Life
Monday–Friday
Each day offers a balance between interactive instruction and cultural activities with time on your own, too. Morning classes and afternoon activities may swap places.
- Breakfast at the dorm
- Hands-on classes with expert instructors and sustainability engineers, and city change-makers
- Lunch with your fellow Global Navigators
- Out and about for a Cultural Activity or Workshop
- Dinner at the dorm or out in the city
Weekends
- Overnight or day excursions to top sites
- Quality time with friends
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Dorms, shared rooms with other Global Navigators
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1 Program Leader for every 12 students and support from local staff
Weekly Learning Goals
Week 1
Click to OpenSettle into Amsterdam. Begin to explore the concepts of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), circular economy, and smart cities. Visit the smart city of Utrecht. Get inspired by a restored canal recently reclaimed from a motorway.
Week 2
Click to OpenLearn about systems thinking and design thinking models. Along crucial stakeholders, identify tools for sustainable solutions to solve climate-related problems. Visit case study sites. Explore Rotterdam to uncover circular economies and reflect on sustainable architecture.
Week 3
Click to OpenWork in small groups to develop your own sustainable solution to a local problem through design thinking workshops. Present your findings and engage in a discussion on the environmental impact of your solution.
Activities
Click to OpenSample Activities
Just imagine all the fun you’ll have!
- Enjoy a canal side meal and then hop on a boat ride for spectacular views of Amsterdam’s unique urban landscape, including its narrow, gabled houses that stand shoulder to shoulder along the canals.
- Traverse Amsterdam’s Latin Quarter, the heart of the city for young people. Step inside the famous Albert Cuyp market, the largest open-air market in Europe, and try a yummy stroopwafel.
- Become a climate crime detective for a day and investigate alongside professionals who enforce Amsterdam’s environmental regulations.
- Soak in the beauty of Catharijnesingel, a restored canal reclaimed from a motorway in the smart city of Utrecht. Visit the 2000-year-old tower Domtoren.
- On your excursion to modern Rotterdam, climb the Euromast observation tower for unparalleled views of a city that was completely rebuilt post-World War II.
Please note activities are based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when arranging activities is always to enhance your experience.
Dates & Fees
Click to OpenDates & Fees
ELIGIBILITY
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
APPLICATION FEE
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More Questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us!
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session I 2023 3 weeks | Apr 2, 2023 | Jun 18, 2023 | Jul 8, 2023 |
$5,950 |
| Summer Session II 2023 3 weeks | Apr 2, 2023 | Jul 9, 2023 | Jul 29, 2023 |
$5,950 |
Looking for funding?
What's Included
Click to OpenWhat's Included
Ready to change your life?
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