A project involving more than 1,200 students across the provinces of Vicenza and Turin, and above all one designed to build a bridge between schools and industry, allowing technical and scientific disciplines to merge knowledge with practical expertise. MILE, the Museum of Interactive Leather Experience in Arzignano, has joined the national “Yes, You STEM!” programme, selected and funded by the Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale as part of the Polaris initiative. “For many students, a visit to MILE represents an opportunity to discover a world and a manufacturing sector they were previously unfamiliar with”, commented Lucrezia Maria Mecenero, President of the MILE Foundation. “Through this project, we aim to transform young people’s potential into interest, awareness and guidance”.
The project
“Yes, You STEM!”, conceived and developed by the Pleiadi Group, is an educational and career-orientation initiative aimed at lower secondary school students. Its objective is to bring young people closer to STEM subjects — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — through workshops, hands-on activities and direct experiences. Within this framework, MILE aims to show students how scientific and technological skills are essential to the leather supply chain and tanning industry. “Leather is not merely a material”, the statement reads, “but the gateway to a complex system involving science, industry, sustainability, professional expertise and innovation”. UNIC – Italian Tanneries and the Veneto Leather District are collaborating on MILE’s educational pathways.
The value of experience
“An experiential approach is fundamental in helping young people understand that STEM disciplines are not abstract concepts”, added Lucio Biondaro, Board Member of the MILE Foundation and CEO of Pleiadi, “but concrete tools for interpreting and transforming reality. At MILE, theory meets production processes, materials, technologies and sustainability: this is where knowledge becomes experience and can inspire new vocations”. “We want to bring younger generations closer to educational and professional paths connected to the real needs of our territory”, Mecenero concluded.
Photo: MILE
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