Repubblica Digitale project is a national strategic initiative promoted by the Department for Digital Transformation of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to «combat the cultural digital in the Italian population, to support digital inclusion and promote education on the technologies of the future, accompanying the process of the digital transformation of the country».

The aim of Repubblica Digitale is to create an «alliance» of public and private entities, which has as its reference point the Manifesto of Repubblica Digitale and which operates as a community of co-design, sharing and collaboration. In order to adhere to the Manifesto, the proposed initiatives must relate to three areas:

1. basic digital literacy and overcoming the digital cultural divide;
2. development of digital skills for work; and
3. education in emerging technologies and the dissemination of digital culture.

Repubblica Digitale proposes the idea that supporting the digital transformation of the country with educational and cultural actions is a common civic duty for the State, businesses and individuals. For this reason, all members of society, starting from the media, schools and families, can contribute in a decisive way to overcome the gaps that currently divide the country.

STEAMonEdu has been listed among valuable Italian and European initiatives proposed by public and private entities that will help Repubblica Digitale in reaching the objectives foreseen by the Manifesto.

• Adapt skills to the needs of the economy,
• Bring research and business closer together,
• Innovate teaching and training,
• Foster female empowerment in society and the world of work.

There are many objectives that can be achieved thanks to the valorization in schools of the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), an acronym updated with the «A» of Arts, therefore STE(A)M. A is a simple letter that actually completes and strengthens it, highlighting the need and value of an interdisciplinary training, which allows to create connections between science and other disciplines, transversal skills, innovative solutions, fostering creativity and critical spirit, improving learning processes and cognitive development.

The recent report of the «European Committee of the Regions» indicates that strengthening STE(A)M education is one of the areas that can contribute to the development of the economies of the European Union. The report contains 25 political recommendations, and the inclusion of the arts with scientific disciplines is seen as an opportunity, especially for countries like Italy. It can compete as a protagonist especially in sectors involving technologies and historical and cultural heritage, for example in the field of enhancement and protection of cultural (and touristic) heritage.

Let us remember that two great protagonists of Italian art, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, were not only painters and sculptors, but inventors, engineers, and scientists: their genius and experience show that there are no boundaries between science and art.

STEM at the heart of the education and research reform project

 The Covid-19 emergency has called into question economic, health and social systems, relations between countries, and has shown us the weak points of globalization; a revolution that is involving the whole planet and that will have various consequences.

«Innovation» is one of the most used words by Italian politicians and rulers at the moment, as if the pandemic had made the process necessary to relaunch the country and its most creative energies.

Education and research are the two areas from which to start again, as the  Minister of University and Research Gaetano Manfredi explained in a recent interview, «We need more graduates in science subjects, in STEM areas, where women are still under-represented and this is a big problem for the country and its growth. This is an issue that we are putting at the center of our investment and reform plan».

The theme of the gender difference in Italy is particularly critical, just think that the differential between male and female employment rates is 67.1% for men and 49.2% for women placing Italy in the last place in Europe. The OSCE states that if by 2030 female employment were to reach that of men, Italy’s GDP could grow by one percentage point per year.

The challenge of the future is to qualify and direct women’s work and skills towards the most technological areas, i.e. STEM, to which the economy is shifting.

STEAM national educational initiatives in schools

The enhancement of STE(A)M education is one of the elements on which the National Digital School Plan launched by the Italian Government (PNSD, Law 107/2015) is based. It is a guidance document of the Ministry of Education, University and Research that aims to innovate the Italian education system through digitization, highlighting the opportunities it offers in terms of training, skills and employment. The Plan is organized in 4 fundamental steps – tools, skills, accompaniment, training – to be achieved through a series of objectives and actions divided into specific areas.

The «Digital, Entrepreneurship and Work» area aims to promote and bridge the digital divide in terms of skills and employment, promote careers in STE(A)M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) and enhance the relationship between school and work.

The STEAM Lab project is part of the PNSD and provides classrooms dedicated to the experimentation of competitive paths in STEAM for students of all levels.

«We walk the path of wonderful mechanisms» involves primary school children with workshops, in which «they design, create and program objects able to obtain data from the surrounding reality and process them into information ready to be analyzed». «Leonardo STEAM Lab» is the path for secondary school students: after studying the great scientist with multiform genius, with elements of robotics and coding, the children build – personalizing it – a Leonardo machine, documenting the work done. The students of the secondary school, with «Photographing Science», are challenged to study the birth of the Universe using photographic techniques: finally, a Photo Contest is organized and an exhibition with the best photographs taken.

Other STE(A)M experiences in Italy

 There are several initiatives in Italy that are increasingly aiming to promote the STE(A)M approach to education.

These include the «STEAM International High School«, an innovative experience on the Italian scene that aims to train the skills of students by adopting «active and experiential teaching», which poses continuous challenges that stimulate their ability to find creative and innovative solutions. In order to do this, the classic «linear» didactic model has been revolutionized – which involves the teacher in the classroom and the frontal lesson – in a way in which study and experience intersect and are equally central. Therefore, ample space has been given to intensive courses on case analysis and advanced applications in various fields, the realization of three projects per year aimed at the creation of products related to specific areas: mechanical/engineering; digital; bio-engineering; sustainable services.

«STEM 4 Future» is a project that was created to promote the knowledge and interest of new generations in STEM subjects. Supported by Boeing and Sant’Anna University of Pisa, conceived by ScuolAttiva Onlus, it involves classical and scientific high schools and represents a successful synergy between universities, companies and schools, where advanced research and secondary education meet to experiment new forms of teaching.

STEAMonEdu and Stati Generali dell’Innovazione

To date, STEAMonEdu project partner Stati Generali dell’Innovazione – SGI has collected various best practices activated by Italian high schools, among these we mention the first proposals arrived: the IC «Capozzi-Galilei» of Valenzano (Bari) with «Gamification during COVID-19 lockdown», «Back to school: new approach to environmental education», «One day at the market» and «Inside matter»; IC «Taverna» of Montalto Uffugo (Cosenza) with «A message from the past», «Goodnews not FakeNews», «Olympics problem solving. .. No problem!», «Marzo delle STEAM» and Foiso Fois di Cagliari with three STE(A)M good practices within the project Hostel and Officine DigitalArch. These and other practices can be viewed on our platform.

But we are only at the beginning of a project that will certainly give a great contribution of ideas and experiences to the promotion of STE(A)M subjects in Italy and Europe.

by Stati Generali dell’Innovazione – SGI

STEM education is getting higher on the Italian political agenda.

«The health emergency of these months has made it even clearer: promoting knowledge of STEM and financial subjects from an early age, particularly for young girls and students, is crucial. Inequalities start at an early age, let’s start again with education.»

With these words the Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family Elena Bonetti announced on her Facebook page the launch of the call «STEM2020«, with which Italy invests 2 million euros from 1 July to 31 December 2020, to create courses for young girls and boys and students from 4 to 19 years of age.

The main objectives of the call are:

• to promote the empowerment of girls, stimulating them from an early age to become passionate about technical-scientific subjects, to study them, so that they can compete in the labour market of the future, taking up all the challenges;
• to overcome the stereotypes and prejudices, according to which the world of STEM subjects is exclusively for men;
• to stimulate the learning of these subjects also through innovative ways of learning the scientific method.

The project proposals are intended for schools of all levels, from pre-school to upper secondary school.

The educational areas are mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, coding, economics, robotics, animation, earth and environmental sciences, just to name a few, obviously chosen according to the age of the students and the type of school. 60% of the beneficiaries will have to be girls in order to guarantee an effective participation. Each project will be granted up to 15,000 euros and it is open to schools, universities and Third Sector organizations.

By SGI

In Italy, the educational project “ESERO” – European Space Education Resource Office, promoted by European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ISA), aims to freely train primary and secondary school teachers of scientific subjects with dedicated insights on space conquest and exploration.

This call is open to public entities and research organizations, both public and private; small, medium and big companies; profit and non-profit foundations, associations and organizations. The deadline for the selection of the eligible entities is 30 December 2020.

Started in 2006, ESERO uses space as a stimulating context for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education and learning.

Space itself is not a school subject, but it can be a suitable environment to provide real models of contemporary scientific methodology application, interdisciplinary collaboration, access to state-of-the-art scientific data, structure and professional roles in the field of STEM.

Under the coordination of ESA and ISA in Italy,  and with the support of a wide range of national organizations active in the educational and space sectors, the project aims to stimulate and form a community of educators, who are the main bridge to reach the students.

The project’s main goal is to create an impact in young students to contribute to attracting them to technology and science studies and carriers, in particular in the space sector, and educate new generations in critical and autonomous thinking as an important social value.

ESERO offers an annual series of national or regional training sessions for both primary and secondary school teachers. These are offered in collaboration with national partners who are already active in STEM education. Teacher training events are, wherever possible, officially accredited as part of continual professional development qualifications.

Currently ESA has established sixteen ESERO national offices which cover eighteen countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and UK.

By SGI

The Italian organizations Italia Nostra and our partner Stati Genrali dell’Innovazione (SGI) have started a collaboration in the implementation of Pathways for transversal skills and orientation for school in Italy.

The Association Italia Nostra implements educational initiatives for teachers and students working closely with schools in the development of National Operational Programmes. The objective is to design campaigns and projects aiming to promote education on active citizenship and to organize Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation in collaboration with school institutions.

In this sensitive and difficult moment for both students and school staff, the Association has decided to adapt its programmes to the new needs emerged by proposing to school institutions distance learning projects.

There is a will of being present and supportive in the school ecosystem to use this change to create a strong link between education, training and civil society for the realization of an “education to citizenship”. Now more than ever this is understood as a structured observation of the reality and the identification of its fragilities to transform them into strength points.

The Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation proposed to the schools are designed to be aligned with the Ministry’s guidelines for the Civic Education.

Growing up, learning, discovering and communicating what has been learned through the language of technology, intended as collective participation and fruition, is indeed a citizenship skills exercise.

The link and intersection of these initiatives is with Crowddreaming: Youth Co-Create Digital Culture (CDDC) , an Erasmus+ project, led by STEAMonEdu partner ALL DIGITAL and where Stati Genrali dell’Innovazione is also a partner along with three more organisations, including Daissy Reseach Group of Hellenic Open University. CDDC project aims to promote the use of new immersive technologies in education and to grow new European Citizens among youth. The activities’ results are shared and disseminated on the platform Europa Square, which is one of the main outputs of the project.

By SGI