Workshops and Simulation Games: This Is How 1stGEN @ UNI Explains University to High School Kids

Sixty schools from all over Italy, three workshops with peaks of over 400 students connected online, and one role model simulation: these are the numbers of the first phase of the 1stGEN @ UNI project by Bocconi and Citi Foundation. The aim is to promote university education among high school students in economically disadvantaged conditions, helping them to consider it a powerful factor for personal growth, providing them with the necessary tools to consciously undertake this choice. 

Three workshops were organized by 1stGEN @ UNI for the schools, chosen with the support of Junior Achievement Italia, a non-profit organization active in bringing young people closer to the world of work. In the first, 'What will I do after high school? The University option, Carlo Salvato, academic director of the project, discussed the value of a degree together with some representatives of the Bocconi counseling service and two Alumnae who were able to attend Bocconi thanks to scholarships. In the second workshop, focused on how to introduce yourself to the world of work, the representatives of the Bocconi Career Service gave some advice on how to best create your own curriculum and how to prep for an interview. The third workshop focused instead on interactive workshops on various topics (from internet law to sustainable fashion, mathematics, and even how to launch a startup; discussions ranged from the Black Lives Matter movement to the battle between large video streaming companies). 

"The 1stGEN @ Uni project", explains Salvato, "is very innovative for Bocconi University because it orients high school students to any type of university study, regardless of the discipline, helping them to grasp the value of the University as a social elevator." 

A specific role model simulation was added to the experiences of the workshops created by BUILT - Bocconi University Innovations In Learning and Teaching - and inspired by four testimonials, who represented four professional models: through a series of choices, the students imagined being in the shoes of the various models and having to face the choices they faced when they were younger. The four professional figures involved were: a judge, a doctor, a programmer, and an organizer of cultural events. Each represented their respective possible career opportunities. 

Micaela Rossi, a CLEACC and ACME graduate and today assistant director and coordinator of the productions of the Palazzo Te Foundation (Mantua), recounted her experience as an event organizer in the world of culture: "It was very important for me to participate in the project,” she says. "In this way, examples of professions were offered to the kids and it was shown how many and how influential even the smallest decisions can be that you must make to take a certain path, highlighting above all how much the choice of the university path is fundamental for each of them.” 

At this point, it's up to the kids. Participants in the first phase interested in Bocconi degree courses will have the opportunity to participate in a specific training course that will lead them to take the admission test for the academic year 2023/2024. 

"We are very proud to have carried out this project together with Bocconi University", explains Silvia Boschetti, public and government affairs officer of Citi Italia. "For our foundation, the theme of creation and access to personal and professional growth opportunities for young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds is of vital importance. 1st GEN @ UNI has precisely this objective: to show young people how university education can become a valuable tool for building a better future.”