4 min.
Good morning to all of you, Professors, Students and I would like to thank our host, Headmaster De Angelis Curtis.
Our Embassy was extremely pleased to accept the invitation from the Fondazione Mondo Digitale to become a partner of this exciting project. Not only because we believe in its approach and value the many activities conducted by the FMD, but also because this initiative mirrors the spirit and culture of my country.
I’d like to show you a short video …
What you just saw was filmed on March 23, two days ago. It’s the science fair that President Obama has hosted at the White House for the past five years.
Young students, like you, from all fifty states presented the ideas and projects that they worked on throughout the school year. President Obama refers to it as the coolest event of the year … and I know I don’t need to translate this, as it's the very same energy that we can feel here today.
I would like to share with you a few brief observations made by the President.
“Every year,” says President Obama, “I leave the science fair smarter than when I arrived. These students have something to teach every one of us. Not just how to build a robot or rocket, but how to question why things are as they are and how we can improve them. They remind us that there is always something to learn, to try out, to discover or to imagine. And it’s never too early or late to do something new.”
I believe that our President’s words describe your commitment over the coming days, doing what you love to do, as you are proving by participating in the RomeCup.
There also is another point in his speech that I’d like to underline, an element that wants to praise the commitment of the FMD, your schools and your teachers, who support these initiatives.
Referring to the American experience, President Obama affirms: “It’s not enough for our country to be proud of you. We also have to provide you with the tools that you need and that will allow you to continue discovering, experimenting, building and inventing.”
This is exactly what they are doing for you and – I must add – with great dedication.
Five years ago, the President launched the “Educate to Innovate” Initiative in the United States to push a greater number of students, male and female, towards scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical studies. You know Americans love acronyms and we have called it STEM Education!
The project has gathered over 240 million dollars, but it’s not enough, nor is it enough to speak about scientific studies. We must provide students with a concrete objective. There are a lot of issues to face: clean energy, safeguarding our environment and tackle serious diseases that are still not curable. So, the President said, we do not only want to increase the number of STEM students, but we also want to make sure they all feel involved.
This is the very same spirit I see in your initiative today. I am personally convinced that events such as this one are healthy carriers of an innovation virus that will lead to great projects. It’s full potential may be hard to measure, but its undeniably and easily felt. And better yet if it’s at a fun and intriguing event such as RomeCup.
I would also like to remind you not to miss out on the next appointment at the Embassy with the FMD! Come to Sapienza University on April 11-12 for the NASA Space Apps Challenge Hackathon. You are all invited!
Finally, I wish the best of luck to all the teams and would once again like to congratulate the World Champions. I’d like to end with another quote from our President, and allow me to do so in English:
Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don’t settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world!
I wish everyone fun and profit!
Cultural Affairs Officer Nicholas Giacobbe
Remarks at RomeCup Opening
Liceo Leonardo DaVinci, Rome
March 25, 2015
