"I, an OnLife citizen": a project for high schools

Civic education to develop health, food and digital awareness 

26 February 2021 - Training aware citizens beyond the limits set by the pandemic is the innovative challenge of “I, ONLIFE CITIZEN”, the new national school-work alternation project starting February 24th in online mode that focuses on civic education as a tool to increase students' transversal skills and reduce the contagion from Covid-19, prevent addictions in the digital age and be protagonists of the ongoing green revolution.

wanted byUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and by the 'National Association of Deans together with the foundation "Christian's Smile" The course aims to involve the students of the III and IV upper classes by focusing on four fundamental themes: digital education and addictions, Covid-19 and vaccines, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles, environment and circular economy.

The psychotherapist will intervene at the launch event of the course, starting on February 24 in Ted Talk mode at the Pio IX high school Massimo Ammaniti after the greetings of Raffaele Calabrò, Rector ofUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Andrea Rossi, General manager UCBM, Mario Rusconi, President of the National Association of Principals of Lazio; Michael Bracco, founder of the Foundation "The smile of Cristiana".

“This course of civic education – underlines the Rector Raffaele Calabrò – represents a precious opportunity to build a bridge between today's young students and the university world they will attend tomorrow. We want to bring to Italian schools a bit of the atmosphere that reigns in our university where tomorrow's doctors, biomedical engineers and those who will lead the sustainable economy grow together with experts in nutrition and the cutting-edge food industry. Combining scientific skills with the correct use of the tools of knowledge and information in our possession today is the first real weapon to be used to live consciously in a complex world like ours".

“The school is experiencing a crucial moment – explains Alfonso Benevento of the PNA - in a period in which, between a possible new lockdown and the expected decisions on final exams, the methods for student participation in school life are about to be defined again. The changes imposed by the pandemic make civic education an even more important moment in the educational path of Italian students, called to become aware digital citizens. Together withUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma we have the double opportunity to transmit important transversal skills thanks to the daily experience of those who deal with these issues on a daily basis in the context of university teaching and scientific research".

The project, strongly supported by the "Christian's Smile" Foundationis marked by social solidarity. The aims of the Foundation are to contribute to scientific research, support studies and subsidize initiatives such as this course.

The activities will start from early March in an experimental version in classes III and IV of some schools in Rome (Liceo Newton and Istituto Agrario Sereni) and then spread nationwide during the 2021-2022 school year. Every Wednesday of the month, a webinar will bring students the contribution of an expert or a university professor on transversal topics such as Covid vaccines, The web addiction, The Proper nutrition, drugs.

Four 10-minute training pills and a final event will complete the training offer. At the end of the course, group work for the development of a 1-minute video on the topics of the course will be the final challenge for the participating students. The best videos will be disseminated on communication channels UCBM, PNA and "Cristiana's smile" Foundation. The first three classified, evaluated by an internal commission set up ad hoc, will receive a prize to be used in courses or other training opportunities.