ICE CityZen 2026
Give your students the chance to shape our world this autumn in an exciting digital civil engineering competition!
The Neon quality mark shows this activity has been reviewed and meets Neon's quality standards.
Overview
The ICE CityZen competition is an easy-to-run structured activity supported throughout by an ICE STEM Ambassador, either online or in-person.
It takes place yearly in the autumn term, and makes an ideal extra-curricular activity for students aged 16 to 18 making critical decisions about their futures.
The competition is in 2 parts:
- A digital game played over 4 to 6 one-hour sessions
- A creative video project for students to pitch their idea of how civil engineering could be used to improve their local environment.
“It not only taught me new skills but was fun and interactive”
Year 12 student, Merseyside
The ICE CityZen experience gives students:
- Skills for success, such as teamwork, critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving.
- Insight into a respected, exciting, and globally vital career option.
- More insight into STEM topics, including content relevant to the national curricula for geography and design technology.
- A certificate of participation, plus great prizes!
Teams must be registered by a teacher or school representative.
Details
- School subject
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- Design and technology
- Engineering
- Maths
- Physics
- Curriculum links
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- Biology: Material cycles and energy
- Physics: Energy
- Engineering
- Design and technology
- Sciences - Planet earth: Energy sources and sustainability
- Sciences - Planet earth
- Technologies - Craft, design, engineering and graphics: Application of engineering
- Technologies - Craft, design, engineering and graphics
- Physics: Energy transfer
- Design thinking and engineering: Engineering
- Sciences - Earth and universe: The environment and human influences
- Sciences - Forces and energy
- Technology & design - Design
- Technology & design - Manufacturing
- Group size
- Small groups
- Participation level
- Independent work, Watching or listening
- Duration
- Multi-session - set days
- Dates
- 1 September 2026 – 18 December 2026
- Cost
- Free
- Location
-
In-school
- UK-wide
Learning outcomes
- Attainment and progress
- Develop engineering employability skills
- Improve awareness and aspirations for STEM-related study and careers
Frameworks
Gatsby benchmarks
The Gatsby benchmarks are a framework for good careers guidance for schools across all of England and in some areas across the rest of the UK. This experience helps your school to reach the following benchmarks:
- 4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers
- 5 - Encounters with employers and employees
EqualEx
- Introduce and Inspire
Essential skills
The essential skills every young person needs to succeed in education and their future career. Find out more at the Skills Builder Partnership. This experience builds the following skills:
-
-
Enrichment framework
- 7 - An outcomes-focused enrichment offer
- 5 - An accessible and engagement enrichment offer
- 6 - An enrichment offer that works in partnership
Testimonials
-
I cannot recommend this competition enough! ICE provided a civil engineer as a mentor, and she supported our students to work through the competition stages, giving practical advice and support to ensure that they made progress and developed their understanding of Civil Engineers so that their video entries were relevant and appropriate. As a non-specialist teaching Physics A-level I found this competition hugely helpful in motivating the students with the subject. The student enjoyed the online game scenarios too. 5/5, 100% - and FREE!! Give it a shot!!
— Linda Crouch, Head of Department
