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A path that combines school, research and innovation
A school that focuses on research, experimentation and dialogue with the university world. This is the path of the STEAM-focused Liceo Scientifico del Fermi–Polo Tecnico Brutium, which has chosen to base its educational offer on an educational model oriented towards innovation, interdisciplinarity and the development of the skills necessary to face the challenges of the future.
The STEAM project develops around the principles of anthropocentrism, freedom and creativity, integrating scientific, technological, artistic and humanistic disciplines in a path that puts the student at the center of the learning process. There are three pillars of the training offer: the relationship with the university, laboratory teaching and the interdisciplinary approach.
Under the guidance of the head teacher Rosita Paradiso, the high school has consolidated a network of collaborations with the University of Calabria, research bodies, institutions and production companies, offering students opportunities for direct comparison with the world of scientific research.
«The school of the future must be able to combine knowledge and know-how – states the director Rosita Paradiso. The STEAM path represents a great opportunity because it allows our students to develop scientific, technological and transversal skills through concrete activities, laboratories and collaborations with the world of research. Our goal is to train young people who are curious, aware and capable of tackling a constantly evolving reality with creativity and a critical spirit.”
From particle physics to international projects
Among the most significant experiences are the activities dedicated to cosmic rays as part of the International Cosmic Day, an initiative coordinated in Italy by the INFN through the OCRA project, with the scientific contribution of Professor Marco Schioppa, professor of the Department of Physics of the University of Calabria and contact person for the INFN Connected Group of Cosenza. The students participated in the analysis of experimental data and the presentation of the results, living an authentic research experience.
Also important was the recognition obtained at the European Night of Researchers – SuperScienceMe “Research is your Elevation”, promoted by the European Commission and supported by the Regional School Office for Calabria, where the high school project won first place.
The path was also enriched with the EPIC project, dedicated to the study of the internal structure of protons and atomic nuclei and developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States. The students explored frontier themes of contemporary physics, presenting a computer simulation to experts from the Department of Physics of the University of Calabria.
Among the initiatives there are also scientific dissemination activities, such as the project on the measurement of radon gas in water aimed at lower secondary school students, and the project “Inventing the Future: STEAM laboratories for sustainability”, candidate for the seventh edition of the national competition “STEAM: Femminile Plural”, promoted by the Ministry of Education and Merit.
«STEAM allows students to learn through research, planning and collaboration – underlines the project coordinator, Flora Brazzalotto. The activities carried out demonstrated how curiosity can become a scientific method and how children can acquire fundamental skills for their future. The comparison with universities and researchers makes what is studied in class concrete and increases awareness of one’s abilities”.
The STEAM High School of the Fermi–Polo Tecnico Brutium thus confirms its vocation to be a school-laboratory, in which training, research and innovation intertwine to prepare students for the professions and challenges of the future.