Completed projects

Faculty involved: Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences
Campus: Piacenza
Project coordinator: Professor Tito Caffi
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

"Sustainable Urban Gardens" is a Service Learning project aimed at promoting awareness and integration of sustainability practices in urban gardening. Specifically, it engages students in designing and implementing activities at the Gasparini gardens managed by Educatt, applying crop rotation and sustainability techniques in practice.

In addition to this core activity, the project includes communication initiatives targeting other students and the general public during "open days" to disseminate principles of sustainability and food security.

Students also assist Educatt staff during the summer camp held at the Piacenza campus, which is designed for children aged 6 to 14. This experience allows students to apply and develop their skills, managing aspects such as crop rotation planning, succession strategies, and sustainable cultivation practices.

The project takes place during the spring and summer months, with students participating in alternating groups based on the characteristics and needs of the cultivation period.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Promote understanding of crop rotation and succession techniques.
• Gain hands-on experience in planning and managing cultivation activities.
• Share knowledge with peers (students from other faculties) and non-peers (summer camp participants or the public).

Read the article about the project on CattolicaNews.

Faculty involved: Linguistic Sciences and Foreign Literatures
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Dr. Enrica Peracin
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project engages undergraduate and graduate students from the degree programmes in "Linguistic sciences and foreign literatures" in a linguistic support activity for Chinese-speaking pupils enrolled in primary and lower secondary schools at the Arici Institute in Brescia.

To ensure continuity, systematic monitoring of learning, and foster relationships, each university student follows the educational path of a Chinese-speaking pupil, providing individualized and tailored interventions based on specific needs. Activities include literacy support and linguistic mediation during school hours, as well as assistance with homework during after-school hours, amounting to a total commitment of 5 hours per week.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Apply knowledge of Chinese language and culture in an out-of-classroom activity to support the literacy development of Chinese-speaking students.
• Enhance Chinese language proficiency through dialogue with Chinese-speaking pupils and the preparation of teaching materials.
• Reflect on the interaction between Chinese and Italian language structures in Chinese-speaking learners.
• Collaborate actively with university faculty and staff from the host institution.
• Build a meaningful and productive relationship with the Chinese-speaking students benefiting from the service, to deliver it effectively and engagingly.
• Citizenship skills: develop greater awareness of the real challenges faced by Chinese children in integrating into the school and social community; act as advocates for welcoming, supporting, and embracing cultural diversity, positively shaping the perception of Italian society among the Chinese children involved in the project.

Faculty involved: Arts and Philosophy
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Massimo Locatelli
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project involves a group of students within the undergraduate degree programme in "Arts, Media and Performance Studies". The activity is conducted in collaboration with the Diocesan Museum of Brescia, specifically with its communication managers and curators of exhibitions and events.

Under the guidance of UCSC professors, students are tasked with creating videos about artworks and conducting video interviews with artists and curators. At the end of the collaboration, the produced works are made available to the Diocesan Museum to enhance the communication of its projects.

The activities take place from early March to early June 2024, totaling approximately 30 hours. The students' commitment includes working with the project's faculty advisors (case study analysis, pre-production, and post-production) as well as alternating group sessions for filming activities.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Observe and understand a model of cultural engagement with the local community, specifically the activities and collections of the Diocesan Museum of Brescia.
• Gain hands-on experience in serving cultural institutions by producing video documentation and materials for communication purposes.
• Reflect on themes such as culture serving the community.

Faculty involved: Economics and Law
Campus: Piacenza
Project coordinators: Professor Roberta Casiraghi; Professor Francesco Centonze; Professor Priscilla Bertelloni
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project involves a collaboration between the University and the Piacenza prison.

Initially, students, equipped with the necessary theoretical training and accompanied by a faculty advisor, enter the prison to collect requests from the inmates (front office).

Subsequently, at the University, the students examine the legal issues raised in order to identify best practices to adopt. During these meetings, held in groups, they conduct research on legal regulations and case law, which also serves to draft legal petitions.

The first trial run took place in the 2023/2024 academic year, during the second semester, from April to July. Prison visits were scheduled once a week, with predefined shifts.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Deepen theoretical and practical knowledge of criminal law disciplines;
• Develop practical skills in criminal procedural law;
• Gain direct knowledge of the prison environment;
• Acquire skills in drafting legal documents.

Faculty involved: Psychology
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Emanuele Serrelli
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project involves a group of students from the undergraduate degree programme in "Psychology", who provide support to the staff of trainers in the project "Piacere: Avis" carried out by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in collaboration with (and on behalf of) Avis Provinciale Brescia.

The activities carried out by the students include: assisting pairs during awareness-raising meetings held in schools of all levels across the province of Brescia and at the Blood Donation Unit in Brescia; participating in staff meetings and training sessions to deepen knowledge about Avis, blood donation, and school-based training; actively participating in the design of new summer activities for the summer camps and other summer centers; contributing to the evaluation of the project; and maintaining a personal reflective diary, which is periodically compared with the diaries of other participants in the group and with the content covered during the course.

The activity started in March 2024, with pairs or groups of students working two mornings a week, and concluded in May 2024.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Pedagogical themes and concepts: relationship, educational distance, symmetry/asymmetry, emancipation, tradition/innovation, autonomy/dependence, education/training/animation.
• Elements of reflective thinking: observation, doubt, questioning, experimentation, comparison and language, hypotheses, concrete/abstract, play/work.
• Training methodologies: context analysis, design, facilitation, communication, teamwork, evaluation.
• Sense-making: values, gift, utopia, universalism, volunteering, inclusion, social participation.

Faculty involved: Education
Campus: Piacenza
Project coordinator: Professor Elisabetta Musi
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project aims to promote knowledge and collaboration in the development of a research-training path, focused on the teaching staff of the kindergartens of the Maleo Comprehensive Institute, located in the province of Lodi.

The activity involves a group of students from the graduate degree programme in "Educational design in child and youth services", who are invited to participate in online and in-person meetings with the kindergarten teachers.

During these meetings, under the supervision of the project coordinator, the students are tasked with observing professional-interpersonal dynamics and the co-construction process of the training path. Specifically, they are involved in the analysis of educational and didactic practices, applying the skills they have acquired and/or are in the process of acquiring, such as active listening techniques, observation, and documentation. The work completed is also shared in class with other students from the graduate degree programme.

During the 2023/2024 academic year, the activities took place in the second semester, with a time commitment of 20 hours required from the students.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Promote knowledge of how to build a participatory research-training project (back-office activities).
• Engage in the collaboration for the design of a participatory research-training path (observing exchanges between teachers and the facilitator, assisting in the search for training materials, meta-reading processes under the supervisor’s guidance, critical review).
• Share the experience with fellow students from the graduate degree programme.

Faculty involved: Education
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Monica Amadini
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project involves a group of students providing support within the community space and educational support service managed by the Emera Association in Brescia. Specifically, they are called upon to assist the educators of the service in organizing educational and recreational activities, as well as in designing cooperative workshops. Additionally, they are tasked with monitoring and addressing any situations of vulnerability that may require specific educational interventions.

The students participate in the activities one afternoon per week during the second semester of the academic year 2023/2024.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Generate inclusive educational processes within a community approach.
• Actively participate in community processes through the strengthening and development of support networks and proximity services.
• Promote the creation of supportive bonds that contribute to the growth of a cohesive social fabric.

Faculty involved: Education
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Monica Amadini
Academic year of implementation: 2023/2024

The project involves a group of students in an Integrated Volleyball service through collaboration with the Amateur Sports Association.

This initiative provides students with an opportunity to support the setup of the activities and to experiment in various roles, including partner athlete, companion, and observer.

Students participated in sports activities twice a week during the second semester of the 2023/2024 academic year.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Generate inclusive educational processes, following a community-based approach.
• Develop strategies for embracing diversity in its many forms, recognizing it as a resource.
• Use verbal and non-verbal communication codes.
• Develop observation skills.

Faculty involved: Psychology
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Livia Cadei
Academic year of implemenation: 2023/2024

The project involved a group of female students in the activities of a refugee reception center, managed by the Kemay social cooperative and located adjacent to the Via della Garzetta campus in Brescia.

The students, working alongside and supporting the staff, collaborated both in the planning and execution of daily activities and in the design of initiatives for information, socialization, and animation, with the aim of promoting the reception and visibility of refugees in the neighborhood where the center is located.

The students participated in the activities of the reception center during November and December 2023, at specific times for three days a week.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Promote knowledge of issues related to immigration dynamics.
• Engage in encounters with others and the organization of reception and integration activities, drawing on both personal competencies and those in the process of being acquired professionally.
• Reflect on the meaning of intercultural experiences and the dimensions of social integration.

Faculty involved: Education
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Alessandra Gerolin
Academic years of implementation: 2022/2023, 2023/2024

Now in its second edition, the project involves students from the graduate degree programme in "Pedagogical planning and human resources training" in activities carried out by the Taivè Tailoring Laboratory in Milan, an initiative promoted by Caritas Ambrosiana that offers training and employment opportunities to women in vulnerable situations.

The students are tasked with supporting the women engaged in the activities of the Laboratory, starting a narrative ethics project with them aimed at raising awareness and sharing their path of emancipation, also in light of the work done. Through peer dialogue, the students are involved in collecting and responding to the recognition needs expressed by the women in the project, helping them tell their stories of personal and professional growth.

The activities at the Laboratory take place over three days during the second semester of each academic year.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Test the philosophical skills acquired in the area of development of capacities and substantial freedoms.
• Support awareness of the path followed by women in vulnerable conditions, through the use of narrative ethics to achieve self-awareness and self-worth.
• Support the development of desire through the practice of dialogue.
• Support emancipatory action and the awareness of potential challenges.

Events and Recognitions

• Final event: Each year, the results of the project are shared during a public event at the Via della Garzetta campus in Brescia. The participants of the Laboratory, with the support of students and pedagogical faculty, present the outcomes of the path to an audience of social actors and representatives of local associations.

• Participation in external events: In the 2023/2024 edition, students participated in the event organized by FAI – Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano, titled "Silk. On the Thread of a Story" held at Palazzo Moroni in Bergamo from May 10 to 12, 2024. During this event, students assisted the seamstresses of Taivè in a textile workshop focused on the creative reuse of silk and other waste materials. The workshop was enriched by stories shared by the seamstresses, who spoke about the significance of their journey.

• International recognition – Uniservitate: The project received third place at the Uniservitate Award 2024, an important award for the best service learning initiatives at the international level. Read the article about the competition and the award on CattolicaNews.

Faculties involved: Education
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Paola Zini
Academic years of realization: 2022/2023, 2023/2024

Now in its second edition, the project is promoted by the Acli (Italian Workers' Associations) Rovato Circle and involves students from the Faculty of Education in the "Tempi per le Famiglie" initiative.

The students are involved in designing an intervention to meet the needs of the service and its users, assisting the coordinator in managing activities aimed at children.

In both editions, the project's activities took place during the months of March, April, and May of each academic year. The students, organized in groups, visited the facility several days a week.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Deep the themes related to the pedagogical-educational needs of early childhood.
• Observe and learn about a parenting support service "Tempi per le famiglie".
• Gain hands-on experience in the service, with a specific focus on the relationship with children aged 0-3 years.

Faculties involved: Education
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Paola Zini
Academic years of realization: 2022/2023; 2023/2024

Now in its second edition, the project offers students from the Faculty of Education the opportunity to collaborate with Casa Ozanam - Casa San Vincenzo in Brescia. Their intervention focuses on defining and developing educational and support activities, designed in response to the specific needs of the service and its users, in synergy with the facility's staff.

The students, divided into small groups, engage in various activities aimed at both minors and their mothers, including homework assistance, organizing spaces and play activities, and supporting Italian language learning.

The activities take place in March, April, and May of each academic year. The students dedicate several afternoons a week, working directly at the facility.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Deep the themes related to the pedagogical-educational needs of early childhood and adolescence.
• Explore and understand the theme of parenting support.
• Experiment with strategies to support families in situations of fragility.

Faculties involved: Mathematical, physical and natural sciences
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinators: Professor Giulia Giantesio; Professor Stefania Pagliara
Academic years of realization: 2022/2023, 2023/2024

Now in its second edition, the project involves students from the Faculty of "Mathematical, physical, and natural sciences" in a civic education initiative on the use of the web, coordinated by the Social Cooperative "Il Calabrone" in collaboration with the Municipality of Brescia. The initiative is aimed at secondary school students (both lower and upper levels).

The university students are tasked with experimenting in the design of laboratory and play-based activities, focusing on mathematical exercises related to the theme of gambling in online video games. The goal is to stimulate the curiosity and logical reasoning of young students on probability calculations and debunk common misconceptions about the concept of "likely winning."

The "service" objectives of the project, shared with the educators of the "Il Calabrone" cooperative, aim to raise awareness and prevent the use and abuse of gambling, through the development of mathematical and statistical skills, as well as promote greater awareness about the use of certain websites and/or applications. In addition to these, the "learning" objectives for the university students are:

• Communicate mathematical content clearly and effectively using a laboratory-based approach.
• Organize flexible learning environments.
• Learn to relate appropriately while respecting the time and vulnerabilities of students.
• Learn to manage learning groups.

The activities carried out by the students take place throughout the academic year: the first design phase occurs in November and December, while the subsequent operational activities, shared with the "Il Calabrone" Cooperative, take place in March, April, and May, for a total of 40 hours.

Faculties involved: Mathematical, physical and natural sciences
Campus: Brescia
Project coordinator: Professor Stefania Pagliara
Academic years of realization: 2018/2019, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024

The project "Mathematics and physics in play" involves students from the undergraduate and graduate degree programmes of the Faculty of Mathematical, physical, and natural sciences in a volunteer service aimed at children and young people hospitalized in the pediatric wards of various hospitals and healthcare facilities in Lombardy. The context is that of "Scuola in Ospedale" (School in Hospital).

The activities offered include mathematics games and small physics experiments, designed and conducted by the students themselves under the supervision of faculty professors who are the project coordinators.

The mathematics games and physics experiments are intended to spark curiosity and logical reasoning: university students take on the role of activity facilitators, encouraging young patients to reflect, find solutions, and most importantly, develop a passion for research and scientific discoveries.

The experience of playing in small groups, led by a facilitator, aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Help the children/youth patients promote positive thinking through direct involvement in the game.
• Stimulate curiosity in children/youth, enhance their self-esteem regarding their mathematical and physical abilities, and promote the perception of mathematics as a discipline that builds models to solve problems.
• Encourage and improve interaction and collaboration with peers.

The initiative began in the academic year 2017/2018 and has been repeated in several editions, reaching its fifth edition in the academic year 2023/2024.

In 2020, the project was adapted in response to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, through the creation of videos featuring experiments and games related to physics and mathematics, aimed at young patients in the pediatric wards. You can click here to access the page dedicated to presenting this experience.

Over the years, a total of 44 university students have been involved. The healthcare facilities that have participated in the project, collaborating with the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, include:

• Istituto Ospedaliero di Sospiro - Rsd, Brescia campus
• ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia
• ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII di Bergamo

Faculties involved: Arts and Philosophy
Project coordinators: professor Massimo Locatelli; professor Graziano Chiscuzzu
Academic year of realization: 2022/2023

The project involved a group of students from the undergraduate degree programme in "Arts, Media and Performance Studies" in a collaboration with the Diocesan Museum of Brescia.

The students participated in the design and organization of the exhibition titled “Equilibristi” (Tightrope Walkers), which focused on themes such as the precariousness of existence and the difficult balance of life. The exhibition was held in September 2022.

Under the guidance of their professors, the students created a trailer and conducted video interviews with the featured artists (Stefano Bombardieri, Alessandro Montanari, Cinzia Bevilacqua), engaging with them about their creative process on the topics addressed in the exhibition. These works will later be made available to the museum to enhance the communication of the event.

The organizational activities and preparation for the exhibition began in March 2022 and were concluded in early June 2022. The students dedicated approximately 30 hours to the project, including work with the project’s faculty supervisors (case study, preproduction, and postproduction) as well as several team outings for filming.

Service Learning Objectives:

• Observe and understand a model of cultural proposal for the community.
• Gain experience in serving the cultural institutions of the city.
• Reflect on the themes presented in the exhibition.

Faculties involved: Psychology
Project coordinator: Professor Livia Cadei
Academic year of realization: 2021/2022

The project was the brainchild of ​​12 students from the Faculty of Psychology, together with professor Livia Cadei, as part of the course on Intercultural Pedagogy. It was from the in-depth study of the concept of interculturality, developed and shared within the course, that the desire was born to practice the skills learnt in the field.

The Service Learning experience took place in Palermo, a city heavily impacted by immigration. The students collaborated with three organizations that provide services and support to immigrants: Istituto Don Calabria, Arci Porco Rosso, and Missione Speranza e Carità.

The intercultural skills gained by the students were put into practice through various activities, including animation activities, listening and discussion sessions on different cultures, recreational workshops, and a meal distribution service.

The objectives of the project were twofold:

• Regarding the service provided, the students aimed to actively and proactively contribute to meeting the needs of the clients.
• At the learning level, the project aimed to enhance communication and relational skills, foster empathic listening and intercultural competencies, and develop awareness and knowledge of different cultures.

Faculties involved: Education
Project coordinator: professor Domenico Simeone
Academic year of realization: 2018/2019

The “Teatro tra le nuvole” (Theater in the clouds) project involved 12 students from the Faculty of Education in an integrated theatre activity, initiated by Residential Health for Disabled of Sospiro hospital in Brescia.

The students participated in weekly theatre workshops designed for the residents of the facility, who were adults with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. The workshops were led by actress and pedagogue Claudia Scaravonati, under the supervision of Dr. Corti, the Director of the Disability Department at the Sospiro Foundation.

The inclusion of external participants aimed to raise awareness about the reality of intellectual disabilities in adults, through shared experimentation with expressive and theatrical techniques. The goal was to provide an opportunity for disabled residents and participants to meet, share experiences, and explore different perspectives, while seeking possible and functional languages of expression.

Faculties involved: Education
Project coordinator: Professor Monica Amadini
Academic year of realization: 2018/2019

The project involved a group of 22 students enrolled in the “Pedagogy of the Person” and “General and Communication Pedagogy” courses.

The students participated as literacy teachers and facilitators in an Italian course for immigrant women, organized by the ANOLF and ANTEAS services of CISL Brescia in collaboration with CISL School, Catholic University, and IAL Brescia.

The course aimed to support immigrant mothers of children attending a kindergarten in the municipality of Brescia in learning the Italian language. The goal was to enhance communication and promote greater inclusion of these women in their children's school life. The training approach emphasized a teaching methodology that valued the dignity and role of women.

Aligned with the objectives of Service Learning , the experience enabled the students to acquire new communication and listening skills, facilitated by encounters with different cultures. It also allowed them to recognize the value of the service provided (literacy) in promoting the inclusion and empowerment of the women who benefited from it.

Faculties involved: Education and Psychology
Project coordinator: Professor Livia Cadei
Academic year of realization: 2017/2018

The "Venti-Miglia-All'Ora" project emerged from a collaborative dialogue between the Faculties of Education and Psychology, in collaboration with Caritas Bergamasca, with the aim of focusing on and approaching the phenomenon of migration from an intercultural pedagogy perspective. The project involved several days of service at Caritas Intemelia, located in Ventimiglia, an Italian-French border town significantly affected by the passage of migratory flows with various origins and destinations.

Seven students enrolled in the Master's Degree Course in Psychology of Clinical Interventions in Social Contexts participated in the initiative. They were hosted by the parish of Sant'Antonio in the Gianchette district, where they volunteered by engaging in reception and support activities for migrants provided by Caritas. The students assisted the operators in their daily work, including tasks such as distributing meals and clothing, as well as engaging in communication and listening with refugees. The group also visited Campo Roja, managed by the Red Cross, which provided shelter for immigrant families and minors until 2020.