From May 12th to 16th, 2025, three teachers from our CHAIN consortium schools visited Istituto Comprensivo Tropea-Ricadi Don Francesco Mottola in Tropea, Italy, for an insightful job shadowing experience. The visit provided a rich opportunity to learn from innovative teaching practices that seamlessly blend cultural heritage, sustainability, and digital innovation.
During the week, our teachers observed how the local cultural identity is woven into school projects through art, storytelling, music, and interactive activities focused on the region’s “Giants” tradition and regional instruments. This experience sparked ideas for integrating cultural heritage into our own curriculum, encouraging student expression through interdisciplinary and narrative-based activities.
The mobility also included in-depth observations of STEM and interdisciplinary teaching in the school’s labs and primary classrooms, highlighting effective ways to introduce computational thinking and robotics in early learning environments. Our teachers returned with fresh strategies for fostering curiosity and problem-solving in their own classrooms.
Sustainability and outdoor learning were also at the heart of the visit. The EDUGREEN environmental education project showcased how school gardens and hands-on activities can engage students in environmental citizenship and stewardship. This inspired our teachers to think creatively about nature-based learning in our own schools.
A highlight of the week was a visit to the Mediterranean Cuisine Academy, where participants observed student cooking workshops that beautifully connected food, history, and cultural identity. This culinary experience reinforced how traditional practices can be woven into project-based learning and community involvement.
Finally, our hosts shared a student-led tour of Tropea, combining local stories with digital storytelling projects like e-books and videos. This activity showed how digital tools can empower students to become cultural ambassadors, reinforcing their sense of place and purpose.
We extend our sincere thanks to the teachers and students of Istituto Comprensivo Tropea-Ricadi Don Francesco Mottola for their warm hospitality, openness, and creativity. This job shadowing mobility broadened our horizons, strengthened our professional practice, and deepened our understanding of how cultural heritage, sustainability, and technology can come together to enrich learning.
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