The aim of project Urban Culture and Youth (UCAY) was to acquire knowledge from European good practices in the field of culture and youth, and then to use this knowledge in developing training programmes for (semi) professional practitioners who work with (high-risk) urban youth through sports and the arts. The main concern behind project UCAY was about the future of a considerable group of (high-risk) youth in urban areas in the Netherlands. Alongside this concern, however, opportunities have been observed in the cultural context of these young people.Research has shown that the Netherlands is one of the worst countries in Europe when it comes to young people dropping out of school. These young people are interested in the arts and sports, these are apparently two very important themes in their lives.In the practice of the professional sector, however, very little is done to pursue these interests. We consider this to be a missed opportunity, as active participation in the arts and sports can be an ideal vehicle for contributing to the empowerment of young people. This is because, by using sports and the arts, you are addressing youth through possibilities and opportunities, instead of limitations. Project UCAY aimed to ensure that risks in the lives of urban youth are reduced, to prevent them from dropping out of school, for them to gain access to the labour market and to increase the flow of students from secundary vocational education to universities of higher professional education. We wanted (high-risk) urban youth to develop competences which will enable them to be a part of a society of lifelong learning, and to promote their participation in contemporary urban society.From 2007 to 2009, we conducted research on urban youth and culture in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Berlin and Potsdam. Amongst others, this resulted in the handbook 'Building Bridges, Breaking Borders'. The international network of the UCAY project has continued in the Empowering The Future project (ETFU, 2011-2013), to take the content of UCAY to the next level. More information on this project can be obtained through http://www.etfu.eu.