Milan, 06 December 2023 – JA Day 2023 was held yesterday at Campari Group's HQ in Sesto San Giovanni (MI), on the occasion of World Volunteer Day, the annual event that brings together partner companies and institutions that share and support the mission of Junior Achievement in Italy, which for over twenty years has been promoting innovative teaching in the field of economic-entrepreneurial education, orientation and development of transversal skills.
During the evening, students Giovanna Di Meo and Chiara Rustici were awarded the two scholarships in memory of Enza Cappabianca, university student and JA Alumna, who dedicated her passion and deep expertise to Benevento, her ITI Lucarelli high school, the University of Sannio and the world of innovation and STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) – of which she was an ambassador among the girls. Awarded by Junior Achievement Italia ETS, JA Alumni Italia, Coca-Cola HBC Italia and Coca-Cola HBC Italia Foundation, the scholarships are worth 3,000 euros each and are designed for girls willing to continue their studies in the technical-scientific field, with the aim of helping to reduce the gender gap in STEM disciplines in our country, in which only 16.5% of young women graduate from scientific faculties, compared to 37% of males (Istat 2021 data).
Giovanna Di Meo, from Pozzuoli (Naples) and Chiara Rustici, from Arcidosso (Grosseto), were awarded because they embody Enza's values: the motivation to pursue a career in study and work in the STEM field, combined with a potential in terms of inspiration and generation of positive impact as role models for other young people.
"The award we received represents for us a significant recognition of our commitment and an investment in our studies in STEM, the driving force behind innovation and economic growth. Investing in them means preparing the new generations to face complex challenges and contribute to social progress. STEM is not just a set of academic subjects for us: they are full of great charm, they allow us to see the universe in its most diverse facets, which complement each other to give us an image that is as superimposable as possible on reality. Education is a powerful tool for social change. We firmly believe that the progress of a company depends on its training and the development of its human resources. We are committed to spreading the skills we have acquired to try to bring about positive change in our fields of study and in our community, and this scholarship represents the springboard to achieve this goal." Giovanna Di Meo and Chiara Rustici declared.
The main theme of the event was the future of work and the skills that will be required of students in a rapidly evolving context in which new technologies, and in particular artificial intelligence and attention to the environment, will play an increasingly predominant role and for this reason, they require collaboration between the world of education, institutions and companies, in order to train young people able to seize new opportunities and transform them into wealth for the country.
"For twenty years, our Association has been committed to some important issues that are particularly felt by students: reducing educational inequalities and making schools inclusive and stimulating places, open even in the afternoon and oriented towards innovation and local entrepreneurship. We invest, and will continue to do so, in teacher training and in the involvement of corporate volunteers to create an effective school-business system, using new technologies and digital teaching", said Miriam Cresta, CEO of JA Italia ETS, who added: "in this context, collaborations and partnerships with over 50 companies are fundamental, foundations and institutions throughout the country that allow us to carry out various projects from which 342,000 students have benefited this year, including the Entrepreneurship Championships, the largest event that celebrates the entrepreneurial ideas of students in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit".
"Catania's candidacy to host the 2024 largest European festival of youth entrepreneurship, Gen-E, is an important success in the path to bring entrepreneurial education to the center of school-to-work transition policies. Another step forward towards the ambitious goal of making 10% of the Italian student population live a Junior Achievement experience by 2025". Antonio Perdichizzi, President of JA Italia ETS, added, who concluded: "symbolically, from the region of Europe that struggles most to guarantee a quality school to all its young citizens, we will try to bring this important development issue back to the national political agenda".
On this occasion, JA Italia ETS also awarded the members of its community who have contributed most to spreading its values in the last year:
- SAP Italia received the Best Volunteer Program Award for the best volunteer project of the year related to the Enterprise in Action program
- The IntesaSanpaolo Charity Fund has received the JA Impact Award, which rewards the commitment to social issues and the role of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem in helping to combat early school leaving
- The Umbria Chamber of Commerce received the Shared Value Award for helping the Association grow and create more and more impact in the territory
- Marilina Saba and Luigi Franza of JA Marche, received the JA Lifetime Achievement Award - Carnaghi Award, which rewards the commitment to the Association for several years
- Alessandra Migliozzi, institutional communicator and school expert, won the Leadership Award for the activity she has carried out for the world of education in recent years and for her attention to the development of skills of boys and girls
- Virginie Claeys and Marta Villa of HP Italy, Alessandro Lega, Raffaele Fusco and Alice Plebani of Euronext, won the Volunteer of the Year award, the recognition that identifies those who have distinguished themselves for their support as volunteers
- Professor Fabio Banderali, of the ITET Agostino Bassi in Lodi, received the Teacher of the Year award for his activities as a disseminator of entrepreneurial and financial education content
It is possible to support JA Italia's projects by donating your 5x1000. More information at the link https://sostienici.jaitalia.org/.