The special issue School of Record, entirely conceived and produced by students of La Scuola d’Italia Guglielmo Marconi, was presented yesterday at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at New York University, bringing together educators, journalists, institutions, and members of the Italian-American community.
For more than a month, the editorial team of ilNewyorkese stepped aside to allow the students to run the newsroom. The project turned the production of a newspaper into a hands-on educational experience. Students worked as a real editorial staff, holding editorial meetings, selecting topics, assigning articles, conducting interviews, and revising texts until the issue was ready for publication.
The event opened with remarks by Stefano Albertini, director of Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, who highlighted the importance of initiatives capable of creating dialogue between schools, universities, and the Italian community in the United States.
Institutional greetings followed from Giuseppe Pastorelli, Consul General of Italy in New York, and Silvana Mangione, Vice Secretary General of the CGIE (General Council of Italians Abroad).
Speaking about the role of the newspaper in the local Italian community, Consul Pastorelli emphasized the presence and reputation of the publication.
“In the Italian journalistic landscape here in New York, ilNewyorkese is a dynamic reality that pays attention to the quality of information and is deeply present in the community. I kept running into someone from the newspaper wherever I went, and that means there is passion and a real desire to look for stories. Over time, ilNewyorkese has built its reputation and has become a piece of this broader collective.”
The discussion was moderated by Davide Ippolito, founder of ilNewyorkese, who explained how the idea behind the project was to “take a step back” and allow students to tell the story of their own generation and their relationship with Italian identity in New York.
Among the speakers were Anthony Martire, Head of School at La Scuola d’Italia, Cristiana Mancini, foreign desk editor at Sky TG24, and Bilena Settepani, entrepreneur and pastry chef of Settepani Bakery, who is also an alumna of the school.
Throughout the evening, students took the stage to explain the work behind the special issue, from preparing interviews with journalists and institutional figures to organizing editorial roles and choosing the themes of the publication. The issue includes interviews with journalist Federico Rampini, Congressman Christian Di Sanzo, and several figures from the Italian-American community.
Students from both middle school and high school participated in the discussion, sharing their experience and asking questions to the invited guests.
The evening also included a presentation of the educational model of La Scuola d’Italia Guglielmo Marconi, the only school in New York offering both the Italian high school diploma and the International Baccalaureate, through a bilingual and bicultural curriculum designed to prepare students for universities in the United States and Europe.
One of the most anticipated moments of the event was the announcement of the winning mascot designed by the students, revealed by the Consul General, who also agreed to be interviewed on stage by two high school students.
The final part of the event featured students involved in the Future Leaders Program and an interview with alumnus Mattia Scarpa, currently studying at Bocconi University.
The evening concluded with remarks from Prof. Cristiana Grassi, coordinator of the project, who highlighted the educational value of the initiative and the collaborative work carried out with the school’s faculty.
During the closing remarks, Chiara Basso also introduced a new extracurricular educational initiative with the launch of two programs: Casa dei Piccoli and Casa dei Ragazzi.
