Launch of Dietro le Quinte (Beyond the Scenes): an Innovative Project to Bring Young People Closer to STEM Subjects

The Foundation Istituto degli Innocenti Ets, in collaboration with a broad partnership of educational institutions, and public and private organisations, is launching Oltre le Quinte, a project selected and supported by the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale - Impresa sociale per rafforzare le competenze STEM (Digital Republic Fund - Social Enterprise to strengthen STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics skills) among high school students.

The initiative, financed by the Digital Republic Fund - Social Enterprise in the framework of the call for proposals “Polaris - Innovative initiatives to guide and train students in the STEM field”, aims at bridging the digital and technological skills gap required by the world of work, offering young people tangible opportunities for professional growth and guidance.

The project, which will last 18 months, was officially presented today, 8 April, in the Salone Brunelleschi of the Istituto degli Innocenti in Florence, with a seminar attended by the Chairwoman of the Foundation Istituto degli Innocenti Ets, Maria Grazia Giuffrida, other representatives of the institutions and organisations involved, and numerous students.

A Training Pathway Through Labs and New Technologies

Oltre le Quinte is led by the Foundation Istituto degli Innocenti Ets in partnership with the Istituto degli Innocenti, three upper secondary schools in Florence - the G. Peano Institute of Higher Education, the Salesian Institute of the Immaculate, and the G. Castelnuovo Scientific Institute of Higher Education - as well as Talento and the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology and Child Health of the University of Florence.

The project will involve over 320 students from the third, fourth and fifth years of the partner institutions, with a course structured in 30 hours of guidance and 36 hours of STEM training. Activities include experiential workshops, innovative learning methodologies and the use of advanced technologies, with the aim of making the study of scientific disciplines more engaging and accessible.

In parallel, the project provides for training courses for teachers and awareness-raising activities for families in order to create a cohesive educational community that is aware of the value of STEM skills for the future of young people.

One of the distinctive elements of Oltre le Quinte will be the creation of a permanent STEM lab: an interactive space equipped with digital, electronic and robotic tools to foster hands-on, immersive learning. The aim is to build a bridge between school and the world of work, providing young people with the necessary skills to face the challenges of tomorrow with awareness.