Smart & Heart Rome: Headmaster Marco Di Maro on “hands on” school.
A “hands on” school, a school of skills as opposed to traditional educational activities, is the type of school that the Director of the Istituto comprensivo Fratelli Cervi, Marco Di Maro, believes can embrace constructive innovation proposals such as that of Smart & Heart Rome, the three-year project that the Fondazione Mondo Digitale shared with the Department for Digital Transformation of the City of Rome.
Speaking to video maker Francesco Faralli, Director Di Maro explained why the school chose to join the project: “Hosting an Innovation Gym for a school like the Istituto comprensivo Fratelli Cervi in Corviale means embracing digital skills as part of the basic necessary skills, just like reading and writing. In this context, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale proposed and developed not only a lab experience but promoted the role of the school as an educational agency.
If we take a step back, we will understand the context in which this collaboration came about. Our school has improved its digital tools in recent years. Moreover, as part of the Integrated Local Project, we will enjoy significant improvements in facilities through 2026. The aperture to the community means that the school will become more central thanks to its activity disseminating skills and creating opportunities for meetings. Issues concerning society and children can be better addressed by creating a virtuous circle with families and involving the entire community. An Innovation Gym provides the opportunity to solve conflicts and create common experiences. Even the moments shared with Fondazione Mondo Digitale coaches represented a stimulus for our school.”
The Istituto comprensivo statale Fratelli Cervi is one of the eleven schools that participated in Project Smart & Heart Rome, an open environment for the community to learn about technology and participate in lab activities on digital manufacturing, coding, and robotics, as well as orientation to future professions, digital literacy, and e-government services.
The school developed through successive aggregations. In 2000, two primary schools (former 99th circle) and the “Fratelli Cervi” lower secondary school joined together. In 2012, this school merged with the “via Portuense 1493” (formerly “Quartararo”) lower secondary school and the “via Portuense 1491” (formerly “Pirandello”) primary school. On September 12, 2023, the Mazzacurati facility was partially reopened (renovation work continues). The school currently includes five facilities that receive students from the Casetta Mattei, Nuovo Corviale, Bravetta, and Ponte Galeria neighbourhoods. Last December, funds were made available to continue renovation work.
The interview was conducted by Onelia Onorati.
