The Liceo Amaldi, in the Rome Tor Bella Monaca neighbourhood, has created the first drone flight field in an Italian school dedicated to the challenge of environmental sustainability. The project is promoted by the three-year Smart & Heart Rome Programme, promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale with funding from the Rome Council - Department for Digital Transformation, which is planning the development and animation of seven Innovation Gyms to contrast educational poverty in high risk suburbs of the city. The Drone Field will be inaugurated on Wednesday, March 30 (11:00) in Via Domenico Parasacchi 21, with a drone flight managed by the European Space Agency and the University of “Rome Tor Vergata.”
Roma, March 30, 11.00-12.45
A Gym for Sustainability at Tor Bella Monaca
Liceo Amaldi, Via Domenico Parasacchi 21
The Smart & Heart Rome Programme kicks off with the inauguration of the first Innovation Gyms to reduce inequality, contrast educational poverty and strengthen the role of schools for local inclusive development in areas characterised by a high index of social distress. The three-year programme is promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale with funding from the Rome Council - Department for Digital Transformation. The project will develop 7 Innovation Gyms in Rome’s most difficult suburbs as strategic hubs for lifelong learning activities for citizens of all ages, curricular innovation, orientation and the preparation of young men and women for the challenges of our times, from sustainability to employment and the digital transformation.
We start in Tor Bella Monaca, one of Rome’s newest districts, but even one of the poorest. It has the lowest average income in the city. In addition to the hub gym launched last week at the IC Melissa Bassi school, there now also is a satellite gym at the Liceo Edoardo Amaldi dedicated entirely to the challenge of environmental sustainability. This is where the first closed drone flight field in a school has been developed. The field was developed in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science at the University of “Roma Tor Vergata” to allow students to work on projects to measure local atmospheric pollution, learn about the potential of drones for environmental monitoring and develop new and highly sought after skills for professional sectors that are expanding strongly. The inauguration will be held on March 30 (11:00) with a test flight organised by the Rome University of Tor Vergata and the European Space Agency (ESA) [see news: A Flight Field for Drones].
The educational alliance that brings together many different types of schools can be replicated in every district and custom-tailored to the local context and needs. In April, Casal Monastero will inaugurate an Innovation Gym at IC Via Poppea Sabina and a satellite gym at IIS Enzo Rossi, with a special programme dedicated to sustainable fashion in collaboration with the Master in Fashion Studies (SARAS Dept.) at Sapienza University. In Ostia, a special course will be developed with the the Department of Engineering at the University of Roma Tre that will allow students at IIS Carlo Urbani to discover the potential of videogames and gamification for the enjoyment and recovery of our archaeological, artistic and cultural heritage.
