Remarkable results were obtained by the students of the Liceo Archimede of Acireale in the English language category of the ASOC 23/24 national projects, earning them first place in the Sicilian regional ranking. This outstanding achievement is a testament to their dedication, hard work and exceptional language skills.
Archimede High School of Acireale / The ASOC project
The projects of School-Work Alternation and Work Orientation They offer students valuable opportunities to gain practical experience and develop essential skills for their future careers. Through these projects, students engage in real-world projects that align with their academic studies, furthering their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practical contexts. Archimede High School students have consistently demonstrated their knowledge of the English language, excelling in various language competitions and projects.
Their recent success in ASOC 23/24 projects further highlights their exceptional language skills and commitment to teaching excellence. This extraordinary achievement is a source of immense pride for the entire community of Archimede High School. The teaching staff and administration of the school offer their heartfelt congratulations to the students for their exceptional results. Their dedication and hard work serve as an inspiration to their peers and younger students. Furthermore, the school’s emphasis on academic excellence, combined with its focus on developing practical skills and promoting a love of learning, has undoubtedly contributed to the students’ outstanding achievements.
A triumph for Team WISES!
Great pride for the Archimede High School in Acireale, where a group of brilliant students triumphed at the civic monitoring course of the Open Cohesion School 2023/24. Their work has led them to rank among the three best teams nationally out of a total of 23 participants, and to conquer the first place in the ranking of the Sicilian Region. An exceptional achievement that rewards the dedication and excellence of these young people. The competition, which ended at the end of May, saw the students engaged in monitoring a project financed with European funds. Through in-depth analysis and impeccable teamwork, the Team stood out for its ability to identify critical issues and propose concrete solutions.
The words of the teacher Marinella Sciuto
“ASOC, in fact, it is a partnership network that starts from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which is reflected at a territorial level in the regions. In fact, each region has applied different methods: Sicily chose to call together the teams that ranked first in an event held on May 30th. Furthermore, the first place winners were awarded a 2000 euro prize to invest in technological assets for teaching. It is the first time that the Sicily Region has allocated such a significant sum.
In recent years, however, the winning teams have been rewarded with vouchers worth around 600 euros. The project is a MIUR project, which can work in the territories thanks to the partnership with the regions and with direct centers. Hence the presence of the doctor Ferrantelli, manager of the Direct Center Trapani Sicily. In order for schools to participate, a collaboration with a local Direct Center is necessary with support for raising awareness and disseminating the work of the Teams during the year, which takes the form of the category “Friends of ASOC”. In this case it is the Città del Fanciullo Foundation, of the diocese of Acireale. Furthermore, ISTAT also plays a fundamental role for subsequent analysis of research data. Knowing how to use them and make them tangible in the form of a graph allows you to develop a significant skill.”
Liceo Archimede of Acireale / The structure of the ASOC project
“Once the conditions have been presented during the application for participation, the school declares that it has the technological equipment capable of supporting the year of research. The journey begins in November and ends on May 9th, the date of the Europe Day. In recent years, now in the sixth edition of the project, I have been able to see in this long research how the maturity of young people changes in the context of active citizenship towards their territory. We become protagonist citizens because it is the kids themselves who carry out research on the data presented in the reference projects. This year the theme innovation and research was chosen, discovering the WISES project and the Bax Energy Italia company, recently acquired by Yogokawa.
I want to thank him because in the last months of research he was attentive and enthusiastic about our requests in order to complete the project. The latter is divided into phases; in fact the kids are called to produce work during the four steps, generating continuous activism. The first phase is preliminary, based on the acquisition of data, the second phase, however, consists in the production of a data journalism article while in the third phase they are asked to explore, contacting the company representatives.
The fourth step consists in communicating the research to the territory, understanding whether the European funds have been allocated correctly. Furthermore, my colleague and I, Felicia Cutolo, we accompanied the kids during this experience in the research method. We classify ourselves as tutors accompanying the research method. In addition to this, the Liceo Scientifico, whose director is Professor Riccardo Biasco, has become an ambassador school of the European Parliament. Furthermore, my colleague and I are senior ambassadors.”
Liceo Archimede / Some considerations on the ASOC project
As a history and philosophy teacher, it is essential to provide civic education, and to make my students understand how institutions are not artificial structures or distant from their experience but that they are part of their lives as students and soon voters. The fact that the project ends on May 9th, Europe Day, makes the path of great impact with respect to civic education. Furthermore, the objective of the route includes an event at the end of the year at the Municipality in the press room. Confronting institutions is a tangible sign that school and political instructions are in perfect synergy.
Therefore, an interdisciplinary maturity path takes shape, an opportunity in which the children show off their skills. These are occasions – decidedly tiring – which however bear decidedly important fruits for the students. Furthermore, we teachers also grow through these projects, in which we constantly challenge ourselves. The most appropriate school year is the fourth year, a period of time in which the student is ready to tackle the project with sufficient and functional maturity.
But the project, concludes Professor Sciuto, does not end here, since it can be continuously analyzed through Asoc Talk. This is an online event aimed at teams that have distinguished themselves during the annual journey. This year’s theme is Artificial Intelligence applied to environmental resources, putting to the test the data selected by the most talented and brilliant kids!
Giorgia Fichera
