Young people,science, and community united in “Fiemme Sostenibile”

On May 18, Fondazione Bruno Kessler welcomed more than one hundred students from the La Rosa Bianca High School in Predazzo, together with representatives from ENAIP Tesero, to review progress and share interim results from the Caritro-funded project  “Fiemme Sostenibile: giovani protagonisti del cambiamento” (Sustainable Fiemme: Young Protagonists of Change). The project is coordinated by the Scholars and PhD Program Unit with the support of the Center for Sustainable Energy. On this occasion, students had the opportunity to engage with researchers and research support staff, gaining insights and inspiration for their future role in the project.

The students took center stage during the meeting at FBK, presenting and discussing with their peers, external tutors attending in person and online, and project partners the activities carried out over the past few months. They reported on the following initiatives:

• ESG and environmental analysis: A learning pathway focused on sustainability monitoring and the collection of data needed to calculate the carbon footprint generated by their school.
• Field research: A survey based on interviews with local organizations, including Cartiera del Garda and the Val di Fiemme Tourism Board (APT), regarding the GSTC certification process, as well as interviews with tourists to assess visitors’ awareness and perceptions of resource consumption during their holidays.
• Outreach and communication: Activities carried out by several classes to design communication campaigns and tools aimed at sharing the project’s values with citizens and fellow students, including podcasts, the creation of a project logo and brand book, and the development of a project mascot.

The plenary session also provided an opportunity to discuss the next steps of Sustainable Fiemme, which will conclude at the end of February 2027. During the next school year, additional classes, guided by researchers from the Center for Sustainable Energy, will participate in developing a  School Sustainability Action Plan. At the same time, ENAIP classes will work with Slow Food Trentino-Alto Adige and Professor Marta Villa from the University of Trento to further explore sustainability in food choices.

The event concluded with an inspirational and career-oriented session entitled “Paths to the Future: Finding Inspiration in the Stories of Others,” a series of short talks delivered by FBK researchers and staff members. Speakers included Lucia Tedesco (PhD candidate at the University of Turin and researcher at FBK’s Italian-German Historical Institute, ISIG), Alessandro Faes (HR – People Innovation for Research), Adriano Li Matzumura (Junior Business Manager, Center for Sustainable Energy), Alice Fasoli (researcher at Technologies of Vision – Digital Industry), Matteo Rizzi (researcher at the Center for Cybersecurity and FBK JointLab for Cybersecurity), Michela Antino (Communications and External Relations), and Federico Bonetti (researcher in Motivational Digital Systems at the Center for Digital Society). They shared insights into their daily work, educational and professional journeys, and how their experiences relate to the many dimensions of sustainability.

Developed through the collaboration between FBK and Fondazione Fiemme PER, and built on strong local partnerships, the project is funded through the Caritro Bando Scuola e Territorio Call. In addition to FBK (Scholars and PhD Program Unit and the Center for Sustainable Energy), the partnership network includes Fondazione Fiemme PER, QSA, Bioenergia Fiemme, Slow Food Trentino-Alto Adige, and the collaboration of APT Fiemme and Cembra, CER Fiemme, and Fiemme Tremila, all working together to support younger generations through this educational initiative.