Italian schools boost circular‑economy and digital innovation programmes

Students from the IISS EPIFANIO FERDINANDO high school, after winning the Eco‑Digithon Foligno, were selected to compete at the Young Makers Event in Cascia, an international hackathon that blends design‑thinking, digital prototyping and multilingual collaboration.

The environmental NGO AiCS Ambiente secured Ministry of Environment funding for the "Preventing Plastic Invasion – Turning Plastic into Knowledge" (TPK) project, which runs from May to October 2026. The scheme gathers plastic caps from schools and protected‑area visitors in Teramo, Latina, Sassari and Siracusa, then runs workshops and produces smart library shelves made from recycled plastic, directly involving about 800 children and teenagers and their teachers.

Both initiatives aim to teach circular‑economy principles, raise environmental awareness and develop digital‑innovation skills among Italian youth.