Schools, the contest on the starting line

February 12 was a beautiful Sunday for so many reasons. First of all, because seeing so many girls and boys at the Museum makes us feel really happy: after all, our mission is precisely to pass on culture and Beauty to the new generations.

Then also because the projects presented by the children from theTorno Institute in Castano Primo and the Dell'Acqua Institute in Legnano thrilled and excited us!

For those who missed the initiative "Sustainable Mobility for Gen Z" - promoted by the Friends of Fratelli Cozzi Museum Association, thanks to the support of the Ticino Olona Community Foundation - you can read all the steps here.

REACTIONS FROM THOSE WHO WERE THERE 

We were also happy to see how the initiative attracted the interest of schools and institutions, who understood how the project could be engaging and important for children in many ways.

"The involvement of young students in a project having sustainable mobility as its theme is certainly the strong point of this fine initiative of Friends of Museo Fratelli Cozzi. The work presented by the students of the Dell'Acqua and Torno institutes then testifies to their sensitivity to this theme, and the proposals they have made can be a starting point for a broad discussion in civil society and institutions. And I know that this is just the beginning, so bravo to everyone and see you at the conclusion of the project," is what Salvatore Forte, president of the Ticino Olona Community Foundation, said, while Professor Elena Dell'Acqua of the Carlo Dell'Acqua Institute emphasized that "The school enters the museum and the feeling is immediate. In the presence of the highest city authorities, who thus underscored the educational value of the event, Sunday afternoon proved to be an engaging experience that saw the students give their best by seriously grappling with a daunting but compelling task."

Torno Institute professor Fabrizio Pastori added: "Initially Elisabetta guided us through the Fratelli Cozzi Museum telling us anecdotes and peculiarities with sympathy and professionalism.
Afterwards, the students
presented their work on sustainable mobility with a speech that was much appreciated by the audience and a video, which will be able to be voted on the web, within a contest with other institutes in the area.
The presence of Pietro Cozzi, founder of the Legnano car dealership, should be highlighted with pleasure.It was a nice opportunity for the boys to deal with something other than schoolwork and allowed them to acquire transversal skills that they will be able to spend once they graduate."

Praise for the initiative also came from the mayor of Legnano Lorenzo Radice, who said, "What struck me was the ability of the students to grasp the fundamental points of the theme proposed by the contest: the need to acquire a data base on the issue in the territory in the first place, but also the difficulty of ensuring truly sustainable solutions-aspect that reveals a concrete and intellectually honest approach to an objectively complex issue. To them, to the students of the Dell'Acqua and Torno institutes, go my congratulations for demonstrating excellent communication skills and producing great work on the topic of sustainable mobility, while to the creators of the project-the Fratelli Cozzi Museum and the Ticino Olona Foundation-my thanks go for giving young people the opportunity to express themselves by enhancing their abilities."

THE CONTEST.

In March, the rules for the inter-school contest will be established and published, which will see the project most chosen by people voting for their favorite content on our social platforms win. To enter the contest, entries must be turned in by April 30.

The contest is a fun competition, but all the content produced will be displayed at the Museum via Qr codes and made available to the public!

On the initiative and the contest, Museum Director Elisabetta Cozzi commented:

"We asked ourselves, what can we do for the younger generation? At such a complex time when the younger generations have found themselves isolated and have reduced social relations, we feel it is urgent to offer opportunities for active discussion especially to that age group that will soon be confronted with the world of work. We think it is essential for a community to know its past and its origins in order to cultivate and develop a sense of belonging to its history. And imagine the future! 

We thank authorities and institutions whose presence emphasized the value of the content presented, and we thank students and students, teachers and professors for their great commitment and beautiful work. Now we await the work of the other schools involved, and in April we will present all the projects to the general public through social networks. And then... may the best win!"

All photographs in the article are by Francesco Morello