2 min.
Although nearly 10% of students in Rome are foreign, it was hard to imagine a significant presence as tutors …
Nonetheless, less than a year after the project kicked off, there are three interesting case studies, three stories that underline how the effects of social innovation projects can have unimagined results…
The Pisacane Case
The Pisacane School has become a case in the Italian papers, albeit a negative one, unfortunately. It has even involved a rumor of fleeing parents. Flora Longhi, Headmaster at the Istituto comprensivo "Via Laparelli", tells us a different and far more interesting story. Thanks to Project Telemouse, the elderly are back in school to study computers and the Internet. Their tutors are foreign school children. “They are extraordinary,” says the headmaster “they interpret their role with extraordinary diligence. They follow the manual and with the help of the elders rapidly improve their language skills.” The school principal would like to extend the foreign to foreign mothers.
The Story of Giundulin
Giundulin, 22, is from Ukraine but has attended Italian schools in Rome since 7th grade. He is currently involved in the 1st year of the Aeronautical Engineering Course. Last year, while he still attended the Istituto tecnico commerciale Matteucci, he refused to act as a tutor for fear his Italian was inadequate, but his teachers convinced him. He is certain that the competences that he acquired will help him in the future. “It was a constant exercise in finding the right explanation, a clear and simple one, to make everything easier for the elderly.” And much to his surprise, his Italian improved markedly. He learned correct Italian and the elders forced him to use the right articles. “It was a constant exchange and a fun experience in the end!” he exclaimed.
Romanian Grandparents Learn to Use PCs
Along the coastline north of Rome, there is a high percentage of foreign minors. The 157° Circolo didattico di Torrimpietra decided to extend the project to adults, parents and children. Many foreign students attend the primary school: especially Romanian children with very young grandparents. The parents and grandparents discovered how to communicate via web to overcome distances. The children speak with their grandparents and other parents in Romania via Skype and the families are virtually reunited.
