Education

Digital Sovereignty Starts in the Classroom

A Student-Led Journey into Free Software

Seminar 3

14:2015 mins14/11/2026

Digital sovereignty is often discussed at institutional and enterprise level, but its foundations are built much earlier: in education. This talk explores how Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) can empower students and schools to regain control over their digital tools, data and learning processes.

Through a real-world experience — the “Free Software in High Schools” project developed in collaboration with Free Software Foundation Europe — this session presents practical insights, challenges and outcomes from introducing FOSS in a secondary school environment.

Delivered from a student’s perspective, the talk highlights how adopting Free Software is not just a technical choice, but a cultural shift that fosters critical thinking, transparency and long-term digital independence.