The city as a classroom for inclusive education
Fondazione Prossimo Mio has chosen to support ConquistaMi, an association born in 2024 that promotes educational and cultural programs in order to counteract educational poverty and to favor inclusion.
The project “ConquistaMi – The city as a classroom for inclusive education” transforms Milan into a real live open-air classroom. Primary school children and first level secondary school children – especially those coming from outlying areas – are accompanied on walks to discover cultural places in the city, and to participate in interactive workshops and in educational games.
THE CONTEXT
National data1 shows a strong social need. 50% of minors have never visited a museum. 63% have never seen an archaeological site. Almost half don’t read books other than those assigned as homework. Many kids, especially those of immigrant backgrounds, declare that they don’t feel part of their own city. Only 24% develop a sense of belonging to the territory in which they live. To this must be added the lack of opportunities for physical activities and healthy life styles.
In this context, ConquistaMi intervenes with an innovative approach that takes education out of the classroom, highlighting the city as a space that is both educational and accessible. The objective is to reduce inequality, while offering all children the opportunity to live cultural, creative, and wellness experiences.
THE IMPACT
In three years, the project will involve about 1,000 students, together with teachers, families, and communities, generating an educational impact that is also socially concrete.
By supporting ConquistaMi, the Fondazione Prossimo Mio intends to contribute to making Milan a more inclusive place that is also accessible to children, and in which beauty becomes an instrument of growth, curiosity, and rebirth.
1. Sources: Elaboration of data from IMMERSE (Integration Mapping of Refugee and Migrant Children at School and other Experiential Environments in Europe), Save The Children;
“Il Mondo in una classe – Un’indagine sul pluralismo culturale nelle scuole italiane,” Save The Children, Povertà Educativa, 2022