Conference Program

This paper presents the implementation and preliminary outcomes of the pilot project “Schools in the World, the World in Schools”, developed over three school years (2023–2026) in Italian upper secondary schools. The project involved 17 schools, 17 classes, around 20 teachers and approximately 340-370 students. Each participating class included at least one student taking part in the annual international mobility programme promoted by Fondazione Intercultura, whose experience abroad was used as a starting point for educational activities involving the entire class. The project explores how international student mobility can be integrated with civic education to promote democratic and intercultural competences among all students, not only those directly involved in mobility experiences.

The pedagogical framework of the project draws on the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture and is grounded in a research–action approach. Schools were accompanied by a team of researchers and facilitators in designing and experimenting with educational pathways that connect internationalisation with civic education, transforming the mobility experience of individual students into a learning resource for the entire class. The underlying hypothesis is that international mobility can foster democratic learning processes within the classroom, while civic education activities can deepen the educational impact of mobility experiences.

The project was structured over three school years. The first year focused on activating curiosity and dialogue around cultural differences and experiences of international mobility, including the preparation of students who would leave for mobility programmes. The second year centred on classroom debates and exchanges with students abroad, as well as inquiry activities exploring issues related to the school and local community. The third year focused on collective reflection, public presentation of students’ projects and participatory decision-making processes within the school.

Learning activities included classroom discussions on global and social issues, dialogue with students abroad through digital tools, collaborative inquiry on school or community challenges, and the development of student-led projects aimed at improving aspects of school life or the local environment. Through these activities, the project aimed to strengthen students’ democratic participation, intercultural awareness and engagement with contemporary social issues.

The study combines quantitative and qualitative monitoring tools. A longitudinal student questionnaire administered over three years explores changes in democratic values, intercultural sensitivity, student agency and participation. Qualitative data include teachers’ reflective diaries, facilitators’ documentation of the co-design process, materials produced by students, and focus groups with teachers and students.

The analysis focuses on how the project was implemented across different school contexts and on the pedagogical and organisational conditions that facilitate or hinder the integration of internationalisation and civic education. More broadly, the project aims to generate insights into how international mobility can be transformed into a collective learning resource and to inform recommendations for scaling similar approaches in schools that may not have access to external facilitation. The presentation will also discuss the first results emerging from the ongoing analysis of the data collected during the pilot implementation.