An Inclusive Glance on Local Heritage: Fostering Engagement Among High School Students

More than ever today, the school institution is called upon to fulfill its specific functions in contemporary society, enabling every child and adolescent to learn how to become an active citizen. This necessitates a revolutionary shift in the school paradigm, grounded in a reformation of thought that interprets complexity in response to the dynamic transformations of society in relation to knowledge. This transformative process requires the implementation of innovative educational tools and strategies, aiming to renew the educational landscape (Morin, 2001). Educational paths, situated in both formal and informal contexts such as cultural heritage sites, cultivate students' inquiry skills, empowering them in their relationship with cultural heritage, and fostering active citizenship (Alvarez Ibis et al., 2023). This perspective aligns with the research theme rooted in the democratization processes of the second half of the 20th century in Italy, where the school institution and its openness to the territory emerge as pivotal components. Central to this endeavor is the crucial relationship between the school institution and local heritage and the community, leveraging its resources "to benefit the school in the direction of an expanded educational system" (De Bartolomeis, 1983, p. 28). This contribution explores the potential of the relationship between the school and the territory and its cultural heritage from a historical and educational background, thanks to the experience of the Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO), which involved a class from the International Scientific High School with a Chinese option in Cagliari, spanning two school years. The program's output was the collaborative creation of cultural itineraries in Sardinia tailored for diverse Chinese audiences. Students actively participated in co-designing inclusive touristic tours (Biddulph, Scheyvens, 2018), reflecting deeply on the varied needs and interests of their target audience in the relationship with the territory. The curriculum covered topics ranging from effective engagement with the Chinese language and culture and Sardinian heritage to experiential tourism. The outcomes surpassed conventional learning paradigms as students not only honed their focus on the target audience but also developed an acute awareness of diverse publics and their site accessibility needs. The PCTO program emerged as a significant opportunity for students to acquire cross-disciplinary skills, bridging conventional subject boundaries (a historical issue for Italian schools, as revealed already in the 1980s, Calvani, 1986), and expanding perspectives toward potential future careers (Madera et al., 2023). Moreover, the program heightened students' sensitivity to the challenges of an inclusive and common education both within and outside the classroom. Culminating the program, students developed a tourist package in Chinese, presenting it to their peers and a committee of teachers who systematically evaluated their work. Documentation, featuring photos and student feedback, was disseminated through the school's communication channels, ensuring a wider reach and recognition of their achievements.