Today more than ever, the effects of climate change are evident all around us. Discussing this topic is essential, and a large group of Smiling students recently had the opportunity to explore it in depth through an engaging educational experience.
During the final term of the school year, around eighty of our students took part in the final phase of CAMPUS (Climate Adaptation Plans for UNESCO Sites), a cross-border European initiative funded by the Interreg Italy–Croatia Programme. The project aims to protect UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the effects of climate change.
The Municipality of Ferrara leads the project in partnership with the Municipality of Monte Sant’Angelo (UNESCO Site, Puglia), the Veneto Regional Park Authority of the Delta del Po on the Italian side, the LIRA Development Agency (Lika-Senj County) and important protected areas such as Plitvice Lakes National Park on the Croatian side. Scientific support is provided by IUAV University of Venice.
Launched in early 2024 and concluding in July 2026, the project places particular emphasis on Ferrara, whose UNESCO World Heritage Site is recognised as “Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta.” The project’s final educational initiative, Future Keepers, is entirely dedicated to schools. Through a series of workshops, students explored the results of the previous project phases while becoming the next generation of Future Keepers—young people committed to protecting Ferrara’s unique cultural and environmental heritage, particularly in the face of the challenges posed by climate change.
Students from the 11th and 12th grades of the Linguistics High School, 3A ITT, and the 1st year of the IBDP, together with a class from Ferrara’s Dosso Dossi Institute, participated in two research and training workshops: Heritage Stories Lab and Design Play to Care, officially becoming Future Keepers.
A large delegation of these students also volunteered as tutors during two additional workshops designed to pass on their knowledge and continue the project’s “heritage cycle.” The first, Playful Invitation – Little Keepers, involved three Year 5 primary classes from Smiling International School and Volta Doro Primary School. The second, Stewardship Circle – Ambassadors for the Future: a peer-led dialogue programme for students in Grades 9 and 10 of the Linguistic High School and MYP Year 4.
But rather than telling the story ourselves, we’d like to let some of the participants describe what proved to be far more than just an educational project.
“The Future Keepers project was an incredibly meaningful experience that allowed us to explore topics related to climate change, the protection of cultural and environmental heritage, and the important role that young people can play in building a more sustainable future. Through workshops, group activities, discussions, and interdisciplinary learning, we reflected on current global challenges that affect not only Ferrara but the entire world.
The project involved several school subjects, including Italian Language and Literature, Natural Sciences, English, Spanish, and Civic Education. Thanks to the guidance of our teachers and external experts, we examined cultural and environmental heritage from different perspectives and gained a deeper understanding of the importance of preserving and promoting it.
As students in the penultimate year of the Language High School, we worked alongside classmates from the High School, ITT and IBDP at Smiling International School, as well as students from Dosso Dossi Institute. Collaborating with students from different schools and educational pathways was particularly enriching, allowing us to exchange ideas, meet new people, and work together towards shared goals.
Throughout the project we participated directly in two workshops held at the Ridotto of Ferrara’s Municipal Theatre: Heritage Stories Lab and Design Play to Care.
During the Heritage Stories Lab, we reflected on the concept of heritage and its meaning for a community, also exploring the practice of flânerie—a way of experiencing urban spaces from a fresh perspective—which we discovered through reading Flâneuse! by Anna Wandinger. Through storytelling, images, and creative activities, we realised that heritage extends far beyond monuments and works of art. It also includes traditions, memories, landscapes, and places that shape our cultural identity, reinforcing concepts we had already studied through the Italian Constitution.
In Design Play to Care, we took a more practical and creative approach by designing educational games and activities to raise awareness among children and young people about sustainability and heritage conservation. This workshop showed us how essential communication and active participation are in addressing complex issues such as climate change. It also led to the creation of educational tools that were later used during the following workshops to inspire and engage new Future Keepers.
One of the most memorable experiences was the Playful Invitation workshop. On this occasion, we became educators ourselves, organising activities for Grade 5 students from Smiling International School and Volta Doro Primary School. Through games, storytelling, interactive activities, and by using the ‘Drift Dice’ that we had designed during previous workshops, we helped children understand the importance of protecting both the environment and Ferrara’s cultural heritage. At first, we were a little nervous about leading a group of younger students, but it turned into an incredibly rewarding experience that highlighted the importance of educating future generations about environmental sustainability.
Equally inspiring was the Stewardship Circle workshop for our peers. Some of us took on the role of facilitators, guiding discussions and activities specifically designed for teenagers. We used a set of flashcards created during the earlier workshops to encourage reflection on protecting the artistic, cultural, and natural heritage of our local area in the context of climate change. Once again, learning took place through play, discovery, and shared discussion, helping to inspire even more Future Keepers.
Back in our classrooms, the project continued to generate further learning across a wide range of subjects and interdisciplinary activities. These ranged from studying and discussing Matteo Motterlini’s essay Let’s Defrost Our Minds, Not the Glaciers (Scongeliamo i cervelli, non i ghiacciai, Solferino, 2025), to participating in the Play&Go – High School Challenge Ferrara, a competition organised by the Municipality of Ferrara and the Bruno Kessler Foundation to promote sustainable mobility among local students. Two Smiling teams achieved outstanding results, finishing in first and second place.
All of these experiences—and Future Keepers in particular—were incredibly valuable. They helped us develop a greater awareness of climate change and the importance of protecting both cultural and environmental heritage. Beyond the knowledge we gained, we developed communication, organisational, and teamwork skills while learning to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. Most importantly, we truly realised that young people can play a fundamental role in building a more sustainable and responsible future.”
Riccardo Antinori, Laura Malaspina and Gaia Poltronieri
11th Grade – Linguistics High School
