We Want a School! Vogliamo una scuola!

Dedicated to every child in the world. Dedicato a tutti i bambini del mondo.

We go to school five days a week, but look at our building – it’s cold and it’s bleak. What we really need is to step out of school:

Let’s help our brains grow: curiosity is fuel!

Historically dense, resistant to change our schools are asleep: we need them awake!

Tutti a scuola per lunghe giornate, ma guardate che aule: buie e dimenticate.

Abbiamo bisogno di uscire da scuola

impariamo nel mondo, passate parola!

Dense di storia, ostinate a dormire

scuole svegliatevi: lo dovete capire!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT SPILLS OUT ON THE STREET!

We lie on our backs and notice colorful streamers flying in the sky at the Wednesday market. The screaming and chanting of the vendors under the tents creates a classroom like we’ve never experienced before. 12, 13, 17, 19, 22...here’s your change madam! We impatiently wait for the vendor to look away as he talks to the lady with the small dog to steal a strawberry or two. One pound of peaches for three euros! Buy my tea towels! Five for two euros fifty! We start note taking and collecting as if this were a street side museum.

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE SI SPARGA PER STRADA!

Ci sdraiamo sulla schiena e notiamo tante stelle filanti che volano nel cielo al mercato del mercoledì. Le urla degli ambulanti sotto le tende creano un’aula mai vista prima. 12, 13, 17, 19, 22 ... ecco il suo resto signora! Aspettiamo che l’ambulante distolga lo sguardo mentre parla alla signora con il cagnolino per rubare qualche fragola. Un chilo di pesche a tre euro! Comprate i miei strofinacci! Cinque per due euro e cinquanta! Iniziamo a prendere appunti e a collezionare come se questo fosse un museo per strada.

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT ALLOWS PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE!

A large blue wave crashes on the side of the building and splashes under the portico right by our favorite ice cream parlor. We run up and down the echoey tunnel, hearing our voices get warped by the arches and vaults. The noise makes the grown ups come out of their houses: some scream from their balconies: they become the tenors in our opera of sounds.

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE PERMETTA AI GENITORI DI PARTECIPARE!

Una grande onda blu si infrange sul lato dell’edificio e si sparge sotto il portico proprio accanto alla nostra gelateria preferita. Corriamo su e giù per il tunnel echeggiante, sentendo le nostre voci distorte dagli archi e dalle volte. Il rumore fa spuntare i grandi dalle loro case: alcuni gridano dai balconi: diventano i tenori della nostra opera di suoni.

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT TREATS US LIKE SMART CHILDREN!

There are blue puddles on the sidewalk! They come from a waterfall of paint spilling down the front of the building that stops right at the paint store entrance. Grown ups run in, grab a can of paint and go. We stop, we look, we touch and discover new materials, colors and textures. We start flipping through piles of paint chips, collecting them and reading their names: cerulean, like the color of the ocean. Chartreuse: a funnysounding French green! Flamingo: like the odd exotic birds we’ve seen in movies and textbooks.

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE CI TRATTI COME BAMBINI INTELLIGENTI!

Ci sono tante pozzanghere blu sul marciapiede! Provengono da una cascata di vernice che si riversa sulla facciata dell’edificio che si ferma proprio all’ingresso del colorificio. I grandi corrono, comprano una latta di vernice e se ne vanno. Noi ci fermiamo, guardiamo, tocchiamo e scopriamo nuovi materiali e colori. Iniziamo a sfogliare i campionari di vernice, raccogliendone piccoli pezzi e leggendo i loro nomi: ceruleo, come il colore dell’oceano. Chartreuse: un verde francese dal suono divertente! Fenicottero: come gli strani uccelli esotici che abbiamo visto nei film e nei libri di testo.

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT SCREAMS AT INJUSTICE!

Look! A miniature villa just for us! Let’s hold up the colors we collected at the paint store! Does it look more like Cantaloupe or Merigold?

Amidst wood, tools and never seen before materials we start thinking about what to make. The materials we picked up earlier could become handy. Let’s make a planter to grow fruits and vegetables? Seating to work outdoors? Or a rocket to fly to the moon!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE URLI ALLE INGIUSTIZIE!

Guardate! Una villa in miniatura solo per noi! Guardiamo insieme i campioni di colore che abbiamo raccolto al colorificio! Assomiglia più a Melone o Primula? Tra legno, attrezzi e materiali mai visti prima si comincia a pensare cosa costruire. I materiali che abbiamo raccolto prima potrebbero tornare utili. Creiamo una fioriera per coltivare frutta e verdura? Delle sedute per lavorare all’aperto? O un razzo per volare sulla luna!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE LESSONS AT NIGHT!

The sun never sets fast enough when the outdoor cinema is open. The city starts to go to sleep, the noise of trams fading in the distance. Chairs start to appear on the lawn, like mushrooms in the forest. The projector hisses, and the white screen becomes a feast for our eyes. But why stop at watching the movie like grown ups do? Let’s act it out on the bright pink stage! Lights, camera, action!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE CI PERMETTA DI FARE LEZIONI

DI NOTTE! Il sole non tramonta mai abbastanza velocemente quando il cinema all’aperto è in funzione. La città inizia ad addormentarsi, il rumore dei tram svanisce in lontananza. Le sedie iniziano ad apparire sul prato, come funghi nella foresta. Il proiettore sibila e lo schermo bianco diventa una gioia per i nostri occhi. Ma perché fermarsi a guardare il film come fanno gli adulti? Mettiamoci in scena sul palco rosa! Ciak, motore, azione!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT OFFERS MOMENTS FOR PLAY!

A village of small, colorful houses sits in the green valley between the two wings of the school. The shade of the trees becomes a place to sit, rest and draw, while the little wood houses are where we like to talk, snack and play. It looks like a miniature version of the buildings from our neighborhood. And magically, the hut for building from the park has re-appeared at school, but this time in shades of purple!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE OFFRA SPAZI PER GIOCARE!

Un villaggio di piccole case colorate si trova nella vallata verde tra le due ali della scuola. L’ombra degli alberi diventa un luogo per sedersi, riposare e disegnare, mentre le casette in legno sono per parlare, fare merenda e giocare insieme. Sembra una versione in miniatura degli edifici del nostro quartiere. E magicamente, la capanna per costruire al parco è riapparsa a scuola, ma questa volta in mille toni di viola!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT MAKES US REFLECT ON LIFE!

Bright yellow shelves line all four walls of the room, and never seen before materials of all colors and textures spill out of boxes. Let’s sit at the high tables, or stand at the puddle shaped ones, or work on the floor! This room is entirely made to work with our friends, and our teacher reminds us of our adventure at the paint store!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE CI FACCIA RIFLETTERE

SULLA VITA!

Tanti scaffali giallo brillante coprono tutte e quattro le pareti della stanza, e tantissimi materiali mai visti prima fuoriescono dalle scatole.

Sediamoci ai tavoli alti, o a quelli a forma di pozzanghera, o lavoriamo per terra! Questa stanza è interamente realizzata per lavorare con i nostri amici e il nostro maestro ci ricorda la nostra avventura al colorificio!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT IS INCREDIBLY COLORFUL!

Our chairs disappeared! Where will we sit? Those colorful cushions on the floor look quite comfortable indeed! We get to sit facing our friends and work together on drawing and writing. As we keep on working, the teacher starts pasting our colorful papers on the walls. Look at what the other table did! That’s such a great idea!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE SIA INCREDIBILMENTE COLORATA!

Le nostre sedie sono scomparse! Dove ci siederemo? Quei cuscini

colorati sul pavimento sembrano davvero molto comodi! Possiamo

sederci di fronte ai nostri amici a disegnare e scrivere insieme. Mentre

continuiamo a lavorare, il maestro inizia ad appendere i nostri fogli

colorati sui muri. Guarda cosa ha fatto l’altro gruppo! È un’ottima idea!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT THINKS ABOUT THE FUTURE!

This classroom may be for older students, but it looks just as exciting as the previous ones! The tables are higher and let us talk, exchange ideas and solve problems. We sketch ideas of structures to build outside at the park. What if we got the grown ups we met earlier today to help us?

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE PENSI AL FUTURO!

Questa classe sarà anche per studenti più grandi, ma sembra invitante come le altre! I tavoli sono più alti e ci permettono di parlare, scambiare idee e risolvere problemi. Disegnamo tante idee di strutture da costruire al parco. E se i grandi che abbiamo incontrato oggi venissero ad aiutarci?

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT DOES NOT EXCLUDE ANYONE!

Going to the principal’s office has never been this fun! The office made room for a rich library with comfortable seats for us to read together. Books line the walls, and the large windows let in the cool springtime breeze and smells of flowers from the trees right outside. We ask our teacher what those colorful carts between the books are. Open them up and see what’s inside!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE NON ESCLUDA NESSUNO!

Andare in presidenza non è mai stato così divertente! L’ufficio ha fatto spazio a una ricca biblioteca con comode poltrone per leggere insieme.

I libri coprono le pareti e le grandi finestre lasciano entrare un venticello primaverile e il profumo dei fiori. Chiediamo al nostro insegnante cosa sono quei carrelli colorati tra i libri. Apriteli e guardate cosa c’è dentro!

WE WANT A SCHOOL THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE WORLD!

This orange cart is full of objects we found when outside! It’s a museum of our learning in the neighborhood! The drawers are packed with souvenirs from our visits: leaves, paint chips, a couple flyers, rocks and twigs. Where are all these objects from? Let’s pull out a map of the neighborhood and try to piece the information back together! It’s like we’re building a map of our unique journey. Remember that pink rock? We found it between the green truck and the blue building!

VOGLIAMO UNA SCUOLA CHE CI AIUTA A COMPRENDERE IL MONDO!

Questo carrello arancione è pieno di oggetti che abbiamo trovato all’aperto! È un museo del nostro quartiere! I cassetti sono pieni di souvenir delle nostre visite: foglie, campioni di vernice, un paio di volantini, pietre e ramoscelli. Da dove vengono tutti questi oggetti?

Tiriamo fuori una mappa del quartiere e proviamo a ricostruire il nostro percorso! È come se stessimo costruendo una mappa del nostro viaggio. Ricordate quella sasso rosa? L’abbiamo trovato tra il camion verde e il palazzo blu!

Well that was a journey: learning galore!

Grown ups pay attention: you now have the floor. Listen to children: we know what we need it may be a challenge, but trust us to lead. We need to be able to learn everywhere: schools are our future, please act up and care.

Che lunghissimo viaggio – che bello imparare!

Adesso voi grandi dovete ascoltare: questa storia fantastica, un sogno ideale

che diventi la scuola, il nuovo normale!

Imparare ovunque: che pensiero giocondo

costruiamo una scuola grande come il mondo!

Thank you to the students of the 5^B Class from the F. Caracciolo

Elementary School in Milan, Italy. This project could not have been possible without your generosity, curiosity and willingness to partake in the design of a new collective imaginary for the world of Italian public education.

Afifa Alessandra Alessandro Angelo

Angie

Arianna Aurora Chiara

Chiara Dylan Ettore Francesco

Grazie agli studenti della Classe 5^B della Scuola Elementare F. Caracciolo a Milano. Questo progetto non sarebbe stato possibile senza la vostra

generosità, curiosità e disponibilità a partecipare alla progettazione di un nuovo immaginario collettivo per il mondo dell’istruzione pubblica italiana.

Hanen Kirolos Matilde Mohamed

Monica Sara Scarlett Sofia

Stella Trey

Xavier

Design Doing: Agency in Action!

During a PBL (Project Based Learning) unit of inquiry all about schools and learning, Ms. Berenguer and her students from New Bedford, MA read We Want a School! and used it as a starting point to craft their studentcentered vision for school, exploring the design of spaces, schedules, codes of conduct and much more! Keep reading to learn more about what Ms. Berenguer and her students learned from this co-design experience.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your students? What brought you to want to explore a student-driven vision of “school” with them?

This is my 10th year teaching, 8 of those years have been in Spain in public and private schools, and this is my second year teaching for NB Public Schools. After working in very privileged schools, with plenty of resources and a high family income, teaching in a ‘trauma’ district such as the one I am in has been very eye-opening for me.

The student population in my district is very culturally diverse with a very large number of newcomer students each year. My students generally come from very low income households, a large number of them are in foster care, or are McKinney-Vento, and many are separated from either their mother, father or siblings due to economic reasons and family members living in other countries or immigration paperwork. Our student population also has many physical and psychological issues that arise from the trauma and abuse they have had to withstand at such a young age. However, like any other child, our students are always looking forward to playing, talking with their friends, having fun in class, getting rewarded for their good work and feeling loved by their teachers and peers.

I wanted to give my students agency during the School Unit to tell me how they would like their school to be. I feel the district has a very adult oriented vision and children, not as results or data but as humans, are never the focal point of the conversation.

What were your biggest takeaways from this experience? Did anything surprise you, upset you, overjoy you, …? Have you identified any immediate action items that you could implement in your classroom following these conversations with your students?

One of the biggest surprises was how responsible my students are. I gave them complete agency to create their own school from scratch following We Want a School! Ideas: they could create their own schedule, design their own building, decide what jobs they’d want at their school, what materials they would buy, what rules they would implement and what they would look for in students.

When I arrived in this district, I felt like there was an implicit expectation that children would be mischievous, violent, unsafe or irresponsible. Rules are so strict and children have such little autonomy or even play time because of this unspoken bias, that I thought they would create a school all based on games and no work. However, students surprised me by creating a much more reasonable system than the one I believe we have. They incorporated core subjects such as English or Math or STEM but increased the amount of hours for Music or Art or Circle Time.

I thought they would get rid of rules entirely, however, most children included a set of rules that was not excessive or restricting, but that made sense and was just enough. In the schools they created there was room to play, to be creative, to breathe and enjoy education.

Now, your turn to fill in the blank! We want a school that ___________!

Is student centered, where education brings joy and sparks curiosity.

Enrico Giori

We Want a School! Vogliamo una scuola! – Reprint #3 ©2023, Giori

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We need to be able to learn everywhere: schools are our future, please act up and care. Imparare ovunque: che pensiero giocondo costruiamo una scuola grande come il mondo!

About the Author

Enrico is an Italian Architectural Planner and Designer, and graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design’s Architecture Department.

Passionate about designing resilient and forward thinking learning environments, Enrico is deeply interested in principles of participatory planning and co-design strategies, and strives to always incorporate these design principles in his architectural design practice. Deeply fascinated by the intersection between architectural design and community building, his design practice aims to involve all constituents of projects from conceptual ideation to final development and implementation.