Coding Girls in Turin: the use of the Personal Ecosystem Canvas in the classroom
The training course within the Coding Girls in Turin project, carried out with the Compagnia di Sanpaolo Foundation, has been completed at the Carlo Cattaneo scientific high school. The last meeting with the students of class 3C was dedicated to self-knowledge and the analysis of their role in society through the Personal Ecosystem Canvas (PEC), a tool designed to encourage self-reflection and awareness of the interaction between the individual and the context, starting from the theory of personal ecosystems.
The activity began with a thought-provoking question for the students: ‘What does knowing yourself mean?’. After some initial hesitation, the discussion led to detailed definitions ranging from identifying one's own interests and desires to perceiving one's own impact on the world, says the trainer Tullia Romanelli. However, not everyone agreed on this point. ‘You only have to watch the news to realise that the world is going mad. If the whole of Europe is rearming, it's clear that we can't have an impact’, said one student, and the looks on his classmates' faces confirmed this.
It was precisely this moment of discussion that made the value of the PEC more evident. The trainer asked the students to observe the model displayed on the slides and to reflect on the graphic choice of a bidirectional arrow between the individual and the context. This triggered a new perspective: ‘Perhaps we need to take advantage of opportunities and face challenges, even making our voices heard when we disagree with something,’ one student observed.
With this awareness, the participants approached the compilation of the Personal Ecosystem Canvas with greater clarity and confidence. The exercise encouraged the emergence of different reflections, especially during the final pitch sessions.
One student said that he was still not sure about his future path, but that he wanted to experiment with different ways to find out. ‘I've done odd jobs as a plumber, electrician... I want to try before I decide’.
Another student highlighted the difficulty of defining oneself as introverted or extroverted, emphasising how behaviour often depends on the context. ‘We often wear masks to show others how we think they would like us, but when we are alone the pretence falls away’.
One student shared her propensity for empathy and altruism, saying that she often feels more attentive to the well-being of others than to her own. ‘I want to help others, heal their pain, just like doctors did during Covid. But I also know I can't be a doctor, because seeing physical pain makes me feel too bad’.
The final debate confirmed the effectiveness of the method in encouraging critical reflection on one's ability to act in the world. At the end of the meeting, the students chose to vote on the final exam method, stating: ‘This is a democracy, so we decide together’.
As she left the classroom, the teacher reflected on the value of the experience: ‘I thought I had a lot to teach, but instead I go home with the awareness that today's kids have very clear ideas and their eyes are definitely open to the world around them’.
Experience shows that tools such as the Personal Ecosystem Canvas can stimulate greater self-awareness in students and an awareness of their role in society, helping them to develop an active and responsible attitude towards their future.
