Students & CO: three classes from the High School Vittorio Emanuele II in Palermo come together to improve communication in their school
During the past months three classes of the Vittorio Emanuele II high school, supported by their STC-trained teachers and the center for creative development Danilo Dolci, have been working on a joint-classes project to improve communication and dialogue among students. The classes include two third-year classes and one first-year class.
It appeared clearly already during the initial activities that the students were quite aware of their school community issues. Students and teachers together with a volunteer from CSC Danilo Dolci, identified problems of their school communities and potential solutions, followed by a brainstorming on some project areas and ideas. The outcome has been that all three classes wanted to focus on improving communication.
Students helped by their teachers started thinking about potential project developments to address communication at school. One of the classes decided to ask to the school administration board for a common room where students and teachers could spend their free time. The other two classes decided to join in and implement other activities in the common room to take full advantage of this new opportunity. Everyone was satisfied with this new three-classes partnership, so they focused on the project each class would have implemented in the common room.
Tons of ideas came out of every class discussion but, in the end, one third-grade class decided to put together a little library area in the room where students could borrow or exchange books on a replacement basis. This could further develop into a series of book-club style meetings to discuss and share thoughts on books, approached from a tolerance and dialogue-oriented point of view. The first-grade class wanted to make participation in the school’s community and students’ assemblies more inclusive, so they decided to organize a series of debates and discussions on the importance of active participation and dialogue to achieve inclusiveness. Finally, the other third-grade class decided to provide the room with a place, most probably a blackboard or a cardboard sheet, where students could write or attach sticky notes filled with topics or ideas they want to discuss. These ideas can be the starting point for open discussions and debates, free to join for anyone who is interested.
Even though the common room will be available only for the current school-year, students already requested another one for the next. All students seem enthusiastic, motivated and involved in their project ideas and are looking forward for beginning of their activities in the common room. We are looking forward too.
