MELBOURNE - Friends from Overseas is a twin project, which began last May and will end at the end of 2024, involving two educational institutions: the Istituto Comprensivo Tarra of Busto Garolfo (Milan) and Brunswick South Primary School in Melbourne.

The partnership came into being thanks to the contribution of many professional figures who dedicated their time and expertise. However, the spark that finally set the project alight was a conversation between Maria Assunta Lattuca, Headmistress of the Istituto Comprensivo Tarra in Busto Garolfo, and Elga Pappalardo, an English language teacher at the institute currently living in Melbourne.

“With Headmistress Lattuca, I shared an idea of our school pursuing new opportunities with an international scope,” recalls Pappalardo.

“I got in touch with Brunswick South Primary School and their team leader of Years 5 and 6, Chiara Spalletta, a competent and proactive teacher who believes in the educational dimension of international cultural exchanges.”

A teacher for 23 years, Pappalardo boasts a long list of specialisations in the world of education because, she stresses, dedicating herself to teaching children “has always been a source of joy and great personal growth for me”.

“I have tried to put students at the centre of the lesson, with the knowledge that every day I would learn something new from them,” she continues.

“With the advent of Covid and all the psychological consequences of the pandemic, my interest shifted mainly to the well-being of students in school and to finding ways and strategies that could arouse in them a sense of curiosity and wonder.”

Life in Australia has allowed her to devote herself to her great passion for the Italian language and its literature, where she does so working at the Institute of Italian Culture.

“Besides conveying the unconditional love for my country, I would like to be able to convey the idea of the uniqueness of Italian culture,” Pappalardo explains.

“In this sense, I believe that cultural exchanges represent a powerful tool for popularising the language, which becomes not only an object of grammatical study, but a vehicle for social interaction.”

Friends from Overseas, as implied by the name, wants to put an emphasis not only on the need to establish a cultural exchange between Italy and Australia, but also on the desire to create a deeper bond of friendship between children who live on the other side of the world.

“The teachers involved share the conviction that in recent decades, the international dimension has become more and more central to school curricula and educational pathways,” Pappalardo points out.

The vision of Friends from Overseas reflects their perspective and desire to participate in international programs capable of building cultural bridges by fostering knowledge of foreign languages.

The students involved consist of about 70 Grade 5 students from Tarra Institute Primary School and 85 children from Years 5 and 6 at Brunswick South Primary School.

“In the coming months, however, it is estimated that the initiative will involve nearly 300 children between the ages of 9 and 11, for whom the cultural exchange represents a first opportunity to broaden their cognitive horizons by approaching what is new and different,” shares Pappalardo.

Children from the two schools exchanged letters, drawings and information about themselves, their habits and where they live, using the language of their friends overseas.

“The children from Brunswick South sent wonderful artwork in Italian to the students at Busto Garolfo, who responded with their own artwork in English,” Pappalardo explains.

“For the future, videoconference connections are being considered to encourage more immediate contact.”

Chiara Spalletta and Maria Luisa Leoni, the teachers who are coordinating the activities together with their colleagues Annaclara Nardo, Patrizia Barenghi and Giovanna Barni, are satisfied with the results achieved during these first months.

The children actively participate and engage in critical thinking exercises regarding global issues, thereby developing a greater awareness of their own cultural identity while respecting different traditions and, of course, improving their language skills.

Friends from Overseas is a starting point, the intention is to involve more schools and expand the twinning idea to full-fledged linguistic and cultural exchanges between Italy and Australia.

“This is an ambitious goal that I shared with Emanuela Merlatti, elected councillor of Com.It.Es Victoria and Tasmania, who has been involved for many years in the campaign to spread the Italian language and who has also contributed to the implementation and promotion of this project,” concludes Pappalardo.