Activities for High Schools
Under a Framework Agreement with the Italian Ministry of Instruction, Universities and Research, Regional Office for schools in Latium
As an American institution of higher education in Rome, John Cabot University promotes interaction between the international academic community and its surroundings. JCU offers cultural resources and educational activities to Italian high school teachers and their students, free of charge.
Consult the array of activities offered at JCU for Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento (PCTO), formerly known as Alternanza Scuola Lavoro (ASL), deadlines and criteria.
Important Dates
Italy Reads 2020-2021 Rachel Carson's Silent Spring Teacher Training Workshops (online). These workshops are an opportunity for teachers, of all subjects, to share ideas,
methodologies, and network with their colleagues. High School teachers are welcome
to attend one or more of the am or pm workshops.
- 11 Sep 9:30am-12:00pm
- 11 Sep 3:30-6:00pm
- 24 Oct 9:30am-12:00pm
- 24 Oct 3:30-6:00pm
- 20 Nov 9:30am-12:00pm
- 20 Nov 3:30-6:00pm
14 Oct - 6:30-7:45pm (online) Italy Reads Keynote Address
21 Oct - 6:30-7:45pm (online) Italy Reads Master Class for Teachers
28 Oct - 5:00-6:00pm (online) Interview of Keynote Speaker for the Italy Reads Newsletter. A limited number of High School Students and JCU Students interview Keynote Speaker Dr. Antonio Lopez for an article as part of this Italy Reads special events project for PCTO. Students must apply to participate in this Italy Reads Newspaper project.
31 Jan - Deadline to register your students to participate in Italy Pitches.
28 Feb - Deadline to register for Italy Starts. Teams of university and high school students work together in this Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program to put ideas into action. The weekly afternoon meetings will be held at online from May 25 to June 26, 2021. Final prizes for winning teams!
1 Mar - Italy Writes, deadline for submissions. Read the details and how to participate.
18 Oct - 6pm (online) SAVE THE DATE TEDxJohnCabotUniversity
NEWS
On Friday, 11 September, Italy Reads held its first Teacher Training Workshop online. Sharing original Sample Lesson Plans, teachers from 12 different high schools in Rome, Santa Marinella, Venice and even from Hanoi. Holding the Workshop online enables us to welcome teachers from all over the world. The final presentations of Sample Lessons for Italian high school students produced by these teachers during the course will be made available on our website.
Scholarships awarded - 23 Teachers from 17 different high schools were awarded a scholarship to attend the Professional Development Course for Italy Reads 2020-2021 Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. List of selected teachers.
Completion of the Professional Development Course is not mandatory in order take part, together with your students, in the Italy Reads program of activities. If you are a teacher and you plan to participate in the program, please register and receive a free copy of the book. Write to [email protected]
Italy Reads 2020-2021 Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
American literature and the environment. Join us for a year of reflection and action.
Relevant links:
MIUR Agenda 2030
Portale Scuola 2030 per l’Educazione allo Sviluppo Sostenibile
UN Sustainable Development Goals
How to Write a CV and How to Prepare for a Job Interview (not currently scheduled)
The course, How to Write a CV and How to Prepare for a Job Interview, created especially for Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento (PCTO) / Alternanza Scuola Lavoro (Work Related Study, ASL Dlg.107/15), is currently structured in 3 phases and offers 13 hours for PCTO/ASL.
Duration - This course begins and ends within a month. Schools select the month that best
suits the schedules of their students. Six cycles per academic semester are available.
Selection of students - Students are selected by their school to participate in the project – each school
will select 5 students based on their motivation for the activity and their level
of English (B2). There will be a waitlist for each cycle. There will be a maximum
of 50 students (from 10 schools) per cycle.
PCTO/ASL hours – The course is valid for 13 hours PCTO/ASL credits.
No make-up sessions are available.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Students must be able to engage in a discussion with the instructor via Skype at
the scheduled time.
2. Students must commit to individual or group study of the online resources provided.
3. PCTO Tutors must register the 5 students who commit to that session for one of the monthly
Cycles.
Italy Reads
JCU’s English language reading and cultural exchange program, Italy Reads, now in its 10th year, provides a variety of activities around a work of American literature. This activity offers approximately 16-120 hours for Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento. Read about the activities for PCTO/ASL with Italy Reads.
Italy Writes (not available for PCTO credits)
Italy Writes is JCU’s national Creative Writing Contest for high school students whose primary language of instruction is not English. Since 2010, this contest has encouraged and recognized excellence in students developing their creative voice in the English language. New deadline for entries to contest: March 1.
Italy Pitches
JCU’s Institute for Entrepreneurship offers this national, English-language pitching competition for Italian high-school students - Italy Pitches. Participating students will select a non-profit organization, study it, and create a pitch to convince the audience to donate to its cause. This activity offers 10 hours for Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento. Deadline to register class: January 31.
Italy Starts
Italy Starts, a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program – An Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program in English
Participating JCU/partner university students (Mentors) volunteer to work with Italian
High School Students (Mentees) to solve real business problems or develop business
models for their business or social venture idea. Mentees will be required to deliver
a short PowerPoint presentation at the end of the program. This program is aimed at
third and fourth-year students enrolled in Italian high schools as part of the Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento program (40 hours). Deadline to register: February 28.
- Requirements: ability to follow group work in English with non-Italian Mentors; commitment to actively participate in all sessions and contribute to the team project in a constructive way. Students will be evaluated by their Mentors.
- Dates: 25 May - 30 June 2021
- Number of students: The number of places is limited. Students will be selected to participate based on a letter of recommendation from their teacher and the student’s own letter of motivation explaining why they would like to participate in this program.
PRIZES: At the final session groups present their business or social venture idea which is judged by a panel of experts.
- First Prize: The class will be awarded a €500 gift certificate.
- Second Prize: The class will be awarded a €300 gift certificate.
Activities for Italian High School Teachers
These programs provide professional development courses, teacher training workshops, and online resources to teachers and their students.
Past Professional Development Courses for High School Teachers
- Italy Reads 2020 - Teaching with Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
- Italy Reads 2019 - Teaching with Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass
- Italy Reads 2018 - The Mystery of Writing: Teaching with Flannery O'Connor's Short Stories
- Spring 2018 - Information and Misinformation in a Fake News World
- Summer 2014 - Media Literacy For Teaching English - A Workshop for Teachers
Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento (PCTO), formerly Alternanza Scuola Lavoro (ASL)
All or part of the above-listed programs can satisfy PCTO/ASL (Dlg.107/15) requirements for Italian high school students. Stipulation of the relevant agreement between JCU and participating institutions for the current academic year and advance registration for each activity is obligatory.
1. Check the list of schools to make sure that the agreement for PCTO/ASL has been signed by JCU and your school.
2. JCU Tutor shares a spreadsheet with the school's PCTO Tutor.
3. PCTO Tutor inserts the names of students from their school participating in JCU's Activities
for High Schools. This is a dynamic list. Hours are added by the school's PCTO Tutor as the activities are completed.
4. JCU Tutor provides PCTO Certification to the school's Tutor based on the information communicated in this
spreadsheet.
Currently, 51 Italian high schools have signed an Agreement with John Cabot University to participate in at least one of the activities offered for PCTO/ASL.
If your school is not listed above, please write to [email protected] or [email protected]