Thursday 25 September 2025, from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, classes II and III of the Oxford Middle School enthusiastically took part in the final event of the project For The Southern Workshops, held at the Officine Cantelmo in Lecce.

A rich daily programme

The morning opened with a Coding workshop, during which IT experts guided the youngsters in discovering the programme Scratch and of the Basic programming of a Micro:bit board. Thanks to the PCs provided by the organisation, the pupils were able to try their hand at writing their first simple codes directly, thus practically experiencing the potential of digital technologies.

Following this, the boys tested themselves in an activity of design and construction truly original: using simple materials – sheets of paper, sticky tape, glue, scissors, and even spaghetti – they created Bridges and towers. Led by industry specialists, the pupils worked in teams until the final challenge: determining which bridge could bear the most weight and which spaghetti tower would reach the most impressive height.

At the end of the morning, each student received a Certificate of individual merit, in recognition of the work done and the commitment shown.

A great opportunity for young pupils

The experience was of great educational value not only for the direct approach to STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), but also for the relational aspect. In fact, students from another middle school in Lecce also took part in the initiative, and this allowed for a moment of Meeting, collaboration, and inclusion, With a view to entering upper secondary school in the future, where each student will find themselves sharing their journey with new classmates.

A precious opportunity, then, to grow together, learning by doing and opening our gaze to the future.

curated by the responsible teacher Salvatore Papa