YOUCOUNT · Project

Tested Methods to Include At-Risk Youth Through Citizen Science Programs

otherTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine thousands of young people who feel left out of society — not in school, struggling to find work, disconnected. YOUCOUNT brought over 900 of them across 9 European countries into real research projects where they became "citizen scientists," studying their own communities and co-designing solutions. Think of it like a structured internship meets community action, where young people don't just participate — they help build the programs that are supposed to help them. The result is a tested playbook for cities, NGOs, and companies on how to genuinely engage disadvantaged youth.

By the numbers

900+

young citizen scientists participated

local living labs across Europe

countries involved in case studies

consortium partners

project deliverables produced

15-29

age range of youth participants

The business problem

What needed solving

Many companies and public organizations need to demonstrate genuine youth engagement and social impact — for ESG reporting, community investment programs, or public policy — but lack evidence-based methods that actually work. Off-the-shelf "youth programs" often fail because they're designed without young people's input. Organizations waste budget on initiatives that look good on paper but produce no measurable social outcomes.

The solution

What was built

The project produced a tested citizen social science methodology for youth engagement, implemented through 9 local living labs across Europe with over 900 participants aged 15-29. Concrete outputs include 25 deliverables covering a multi-level platform of key participants, a youth citizen social science evaluation instrument, and a cost-benefit assessment tool.

Audience

Who needs this

ESG and CSR consultancies helping clients meet social sustainability targetsMunicipal governments designing youth inclusion policiesEdTech platforms building civic engagement tools for young peopleFoundations and NGOs running youth empowerment programsCorporate community investment managers needing measurable impact

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Corporate Social Responsibility & ESG Consulting

enterprise

Target: ESG consultancies and CSR departments at large corporations

If you are an ESG consultancy helping clients meet social sustainability targets — this project developed and tested youth engagement methods across 9 countries with over 900 participants in local living labs. These methods give you a proven, evidence-based program to offer clients who need to demonstrate measurable community impact, especially around youth inclusion and social innovation metrics.

Public Sector & Municipal Services

any

Target: City governments and regional development agencies

If you are a municipality struggling with youth unemployment or social exclusion in your district — this project ran 9 local living labs where young citizen scientists co-created solutions with local institutions. The tested methodology and multi-criteria cost-benefit assessment give you a ready-to-adapt program with documented outcomes, helping you design youth policies grounded in real evidence rather than guesswork.

EdTech & Social Innovation Platforms

SME

Target: EdTech companies building youth engagement or civic participation tools

If you are a platform company looking to add structured youth engagement features — this project produced 25 deliverables including a citizen social science toolkit and evaluation methods tested with over 900 young people aged 15-29. These resources can inform product design for civic engagement modules, giving your platform credibility backed by a 12-partner European research consortium.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these youth engagement methods?

The full research program was funded with EUR 2,200,000 across 12 partners and 9 countries over 3 years. Individual living lab implementations would cost a fraction of this. Based on available project data, specific per-site costs are not published, but the multi-criteria cost-benefit assessment (substudy 4) was designed to help organizations estimate implementation costs.

Can these methods scale beyond the original 9 countries?

The project was explicitly designed for scaling — substudy 4 focused on 'widespread scaling up and continuity.' The methods were tested across 9 European countries with diverse social contexts, suggesting adaptability. However, each local implementation required a dedicated living lab with local partners.

Who owns the intellectual property — can we use these methods?

This was a publicly funded Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon 2020. Deliverables and methodologies from publicly funded EU projects are typically accessible. Contact the coordinator at OsloMet for specific licensing terms on toolkits and evaluation instruments.

Is there evidence these methods actually work?

The project included a dedicated mixed-methods evaluation (substudy 3) measuring outcomes and impact of youth citizen science activities, plus a multi-criteria cost-benefit assessment. Over 900 young citizen scientists participated across 9 living labs, providing a substantial evidence base. The project is closed (ended January 2024), so final results should be available.

How long does it take to set up a youth citizen science program?

The full YOUCOUNT project ran from February 2021 to January 2024 — 3 years including research design, implementation, and evaluation. Based on available project data, individual living lab setup timelines are not specified, but organizations adopting the tested methodology would skip the design phase.

Do we need research expertise to run this?

The consortium was 8 universities and 2 research organizations with only 1 industry partner (8% industry ratio). This suggests the methods were developed in academic settings. Organizations would likely need a research partner or trained facilitators to implement the citizen science methodology effectively.

Consortium

Who built it

The YOUCOUNT consortium of 12 partners across 9 countries is heavily research-oriented: 8 universities and 2 research organizations make up 83% of the team, with just 1 industry partner and 2 SMEs (8% industry ratio). This is typical for social science projects but means the outputs are academically robust rather than commercially packaged. The coordinator, OsloMet in Norway, is a well-established university. The geographic spread across Austria, Denmark, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and the UK gives the methodology cross-cultural validation, which is valuable for anyone wanting to adapt these methods in different European markets.

OSLOMET - STORBYUNIVERSITETETCoordinator · NO
FUNDACION DEUSTO-DEUSTU FUNDAZIOAparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITAT WIENparticipant · AT
SPOTTERON GMBHparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO IIparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITY OF LANCASHIREparticipant · UK
ESSRG NONPROFIT KFTparticipant · HU
KAUNO TECHNOLOGIJOS UNIVERSITETASparticipant · LT
UNIVERSIDAD DE LA IGLESIA DE DEUSTO ENTIDAD RELIGIOSAthirdparty · ES
VETENSKAP & ALLMANHET, VAparticipant · SE
AALBORG UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK

How to reach the team

OsloMet - Storbyuniversitetet, Norway. Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service for direct contact details.

Order a report on this consortium See OSLOMET - STORBYUNIVERSITETET profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how YOUCOUNT's tested youth engagement methods could work for your organization's ESG or community programs? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help adapt the methodology to your context.

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