The saying, “It takes a whole village to raise a child,” is more than just words in Gothenburg. It forms the basis of a long-term effort to build trust, reduce inequality, and strengthen communities in a city that faces deep segregation.
In Sweden’s second-largest city, schools are changing. They are becoming more than just places for lessons. Through a program called School as an Arena, 23 schools—and more planned—have turned into safe spaces. Here, children can meet, connect, and take part in free after-school activities designed around their needs and ideas.
These activities range from student-run movie nights to informal talks between parents and police, breakfast clubs, and youth-led budgeting. The program unites children, families, teachers, social services, housing companies, and local groups. This collaborative model of community involvement has earned a place on the shortlist for the Eurocities Awards 2025 in the ‘Inspiring City Initiative’ category.
A School That Stays Open Beyond Class Hours
Many children in poorer neighborhoods across Europe, including Gothenburg, lack safe places outside school hours. Their homes might be crowded, youth clubs can feel unsafe, and leisure activities are often too expensive or far away. The team behind School as an Arena saw that schools are familiar and trusted places in these areas.
“We found that, for many families, the school is the only public place they really trust,” says David Geiser Mellkvist, a planning officer for international projects at the City of Gothenburg. “So we asked, what if we could use that trust not just during school hours, but beyond them?”
This question led to a new working method rather than a simple project. Each participating school has a coordinator. This person is appointed by social services and partly paid by local housing companies. The coordinator knows the neighborhood and understands its challenges. Their job is to connect people, listen to children and parents, and bring in partners to help turn ideas into real activities.
One coordinator helped a girl who loved storytelling but never had the chance to explore it. With support, she wrote a script, held auditions, made a short film with friends, and saw it shown in a city cinema. “Moments like that stay with you,” says Geiser. “They build confidence, pride, and hope.”
Empowering Young People
In the Lövgärdet district, the program takes empowerment further. A group of young people receives an annual budget from a local housing company. They decide together how to spend it.
“They discuss, vote, and make decisions. Sometimes it’s small things like a cinema trip or an Eid party, but that’s not the point,” Geiser explains. “The point is that they make the decision themselves. They learn collaboration, responsibility, and democracy in action.”
This empowerment matters a lot for children who feel they have little control over their lives. The program especially focuses on including girls and children with disabilities, who often miss out on other activities. By keeping events in the safe space of the school and building strong relationships through the coordinator, more children from these groups take part.
From Building Trust to Changing Lives
The program’s impact is clear. Between 2023 and 2024, visits to School as an Arena activities grew from 90,000 to 130,000. The gender balance in participation is now equal, unlike many other city activities. Some schools also report better academic results, thanks to homework clubs, breakfast programs, and support for wellbeing.
Yet, for Geiser, the most important change is trust.
“At one school, a group of parents wanted to talk to the police after a local event but did not know how. The coordinator made it happen—at the school, a place they felt safe. That conversation built understanding and confidence that could not have happened anywhere else.”
