Reggio Emilia primary schools open early under Scuole Aperte pilot

From 31 August to 14 September, fifteen primary schools in Reggio Emilia will welcome pupils in classes II‑V as part of the regional "Scuole Aperte" experiment. The city’s education office, led by assessor Marja Mahmoud, secured a maximum regional grant of €261,589 to fund up to 945 places, including 189 reserved for children with disabilities. Up to 63 groups of 15 children each, each supervised by an educator (with an additional assistant for special‑needs pupils), will operate on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Participating schools include Zibordi, Matilde di Canossa, Tricolore, San Bartolomeo, Leopardi, Madre Teresa di Calcutta, Collodi, Calvino, Canossini, Boiardo, Cà Bianca, Dante Alighieri, Bartali, Bergonzi and Pascoli. Activities will cover environmental education, play, cultural and artistic workshops, sports and movement, and other creative projects, all provided free of charge. An invitation for families to apply will be published by the end of July.