60th anniversary article
This year, 2022, marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of The American School of Milan. It is a milestone worth celebrating and the ASM community is proud to commemorate the school’s 60th anniversary and share our vision of its accomplishments.
Like many American international schools around the world, ASM was established in 1962 by a small group of expat parents. They set up a non-profit association with a vision to establish a school which assured English speaking children of all nationalities the best of two educational worlds – combining the cultural heritage and traditions of Italy, with a modern, forward-looking intellectual and social preparation of an American school system.” Starting off in the center of Milan with 17 students, ASM rapidly grew and then moved to a dedicated campus in 1976 south of Milan.
Moving 7 kilometers from its original location allowed ASM to expand and transform into a leading international school in Europe. It is by far the most diverse international school in Milan as parents who visit explain. Each classroom of students has multiple nationalities resulting in 60% of all students’ nationality being from around the world. ASM educators are international English mother-tongue teachers who are highly qualified, experienced and committed to contributing to the academic, social and emotional growth of ASM students.
With the continual expansion of the school since 1976 in Opera, the school outgrew its original facilities. With a recent campus renovation that concluded in 2019, much has been said about the school’s new state of the art facility, but what happens inside the building is the principal reason why celebrating this anniversary is important.
One of the hallmarks of American educational philosophy is to provide exploratory learning alongside traditional subject areas. This means that upper school students can take a Rock Band, Forensic Science, Tedx Club or Cryptology course to name just a few of the electives that are offered from grades 6-12. Elementary students are immersed in monthly investigative science projects and the tech integration teacher works at all grade levels to introduce coding skills, digital citizenship as well as hands-on inquiry projects. Curricula offerings that are a world away from what founding parents imagined in 1962, and yet remain true to the school’s original identity.
Since its inception, ASM has stayed true to its original identity as a truly international non-profit community, with a commitment to valuing students as individuals and fulfilling the mission’s promise to them. Schools today face global pandemics, ecological challenges, social media explosion, and growing economic uncertainty. ASM’s graduates will be called upon to face these challenges. ASM believes that students’ experiences at ASM equip them with the dispositions and skills that they will need to contribute to their communities and to seek happy lives.
ASM mission promises to:
inspire students to discover their unique potential and to be curious learners, critical thinkers, and global citizens who positively impact our world.
In preparation for its 60th celebration at a Gala in downtown Milan, ASM was honoured to have internationally renowned photographer, Max Vadukul, produce a reportage on “a day in the life” of ASM students for its anniversary commemorative book. His exceptional eye caught the ties that bind the ASM students and teachers together. The book is beautifully designed with a selection of old photos from the 60’s and 70’s juxtaposed with Vadukul’s stunning shots. The photographs are a testament to the ethos that is and has always been ASM; a school where children from many nationalities come together to learn, collaborate, and thrive.
