The event, which took place at Valdocco throughout the morning, saw more than 30 speakers alternate in the presence of more than 300 children from the schools participating in the project.
The initial part of the morning saw all those present gathered in the Teatro Grande Valdocco, where Fr Leonardo Mancini, Superior of the Piedmont, Valle d 'Aosta and Lithuania Circumscription, began the activities. In his address he quoted two sentences by Don Bosco that represent the intent of the project: "More will be achieved with a word of encouragement that gives confidence to the hearts of the youngsters than with many reproaches which only disturb them"; and "Work is a powerful weapon against the enemies of the soul".
Then there were addresses by the Councillor for Social Policies of the Piedmont Region, Maurizio Marrone; the Councillor for Educational and Youth Policies of the City of Turin, Carlotta Salerno; the Technical Director of the Regional School Office for Piedmont, Céline Micheletti; and Gabriele Moroni, Spokesperson of the Third Sector Forum of Piedmont.
The Director of the Michael Rua Salesian Oratory, Fr Stefano Mondin, then spoke about the origins of the "Labs To Learn" project , noting the four fundamental areas in which it was developed:
- "Maker Lab", workshops equipped to "learn by doing" through experiential and inductive learning processes to integrate teaching;
- The "didactic workshop" study method to reinforce cognitive, behavioural and affective-motivational skills for study;
- The "Work Lab", a workshop for formation and accompaniment to work through a pre-professional and flexible path.
- And the "Community Lab", or paths involving community activity: educational agreements, proximity networks.
"The project connects school and extracurricular activities, aimed more at doing and understanding, so that the youngsters discover their dignity, something which is able to generate something beautiful" said Fr Stefano Mondin.
After a short coffee break offered by the students from the Vocational Training Centre and a visit to the "Maker Lab" stands, where the students involved presented their activities, guests were then able to take part in the in-depth round table "The educating community: learning and inclusion. What is needed, what is missing”.
Moderated by Fr Alberto Goia, President of AGS For the Territory and ICP Delegate for Youth Ministry, there were talks by Fr Stefano Aspettati, Superior of the Salesians in Central Italy and Delegate for Marginalisation and Disaster; Marzia Sica, Personnel Manager of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation; Enrica Pejrolo, Director for Vocational Training for the Piedmont Region; and Marco Rossi Doria, President of the "Con Bambini" Social Enterprise .
At the same time youngsters could participate in a civic education game run by Egidio Charlemagne, from the "ET" cooperative.
The event ended at 1:00 p.m. with a moment of remembrance for Fr Domenico Ricca, SDB, the historic chaplain of the city's Ferrante Aporti juvenile prison in Turin, who died on Saturday, 2 March.
The project workbooks and tools can be found here.
https://labstolearn.it/strumenti-di-lavoro/
