Four student projects from Italian schools in New York, Paris, Tirana and La Plata were recognized on Tuesday, November 10, at the Italian Consulate General in New York, during the awards ceremony for the second edition of Progetto Diventerò nel Mondo. The event also marked the launch of the program’s third edition, extending an initiative that has brought together 758 students from 15 schools in 11 countries across five continents.

Launched through a partnership between Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and Fondazione Bracco, the initiative promotes scientific culture, STEM disciplines, gender equality and global citizenship among students attending Italian schools abroad. This year’s edition involved students from Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France and the United States, who explored scientific careers, environmental sustainability and the role of women in research through podcasts, videos and other digital content.

The four winning entries were a podcast by La Scuola d’Italia “Guglielmo Marconi” in New York exploring the dialogue between science and other disciplines; an imaginary interview bringing together Sophie Germain, Marie Curie and Rose Dieng-Kuntz, created by the Italian State School Leonardo da Vinci in Paris; a project on Albanian biologist Sabiha Kasimati by the Italian-Albanian bilingual section of the Ismail Qemali Institute in Tirana; and a work dedicated to some of Argentina’s leading contemporary women scientists by the Instituto de Cultura Itálica in La Plata.

“Fondazione Bracco is a visionary foundation, not only for the work it does, but because it gives a voice, perspectives and a future to so many people,” said Italian Consul General Giuseppe Pastorelli, pointing to its investment in young people, research and women. He also stressed that cooperation between public institutions and the private sector is essential.

We try to create an ecosystem in which the world of education comes closer to the world of business and production,” said Gaia Bernini, Secretary General of Fondazione Bracco. The goal, she explained, is to offer career guidance, support talent and ensure fair access to science, also by challenging the stereotypes that suggest some jobs are for men and others for women. “This is not true. There are talents that need to be valued.”

Education, she noted, is a longstanding commitment for the Bracco Group, which will celebrate its centennial next year. Through the wider Diventerò program, the foundation supports students at different stages, from school orientation to university scholarships and research grants. Among its activities are opportunities for young women to experience scientific research firsthand, including laboratory work at the University of Milan. Follow-up questionnaires showed that nearly 80% of participants in “A Week as a Female Researcher” discovered new professional opportunities, rising to 86% among those taking part in the environmental program “Wonderful Water.” “For us, this means we hit the target,” Bernini said, adding that becoming aware of stereotypes “is already the first step” toward dismantling them.

The international edition was established in 2024 through an agreement between MAECI and Fondazione Bracco. Adriana Apollonio, Head of Office V of the Directorate General for Italians Abroad and Migration Policies, which oversees the Italian education system worldwide, highlighted the initiative’s role in promoting STEM and scientific culture across the international school network.

Claudio Pagliara, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in New York, spoke of the Institute’s efforts to promote a culture of science and innovation. The Institute regularly invites leading scientists working in the United States to share their research with audiences that include students.

Daniele Castellani, Education Director at the Consulate General of Italy in New York, welcomed the program’s growth, expressing the hope that it will involve an increasing number of Italian schools around the world.