Bologna, August 25, 2026 — The school starts early, but for once it’s not to study. In Bologna, there will be 22 school buildings opening their doors as early as August 31, offering free activities to about 1,700 girls and boys for two weeks before the official start of classes. This is the project “The school that starts together,” promoted and funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region and joined by the Municipality of Bologna.
The service will be active until September 11: here’s who can participate
The service will be active until September 11, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a half-hour flexibility for arrivals and departures. Those who can participate are students who in the upcoming school year will attend from second to fifth grade of primary school. The goal is to offer families a concrete solution to face the days between the end of summer and the start of classes, but also to transform schools into places of meeting and socializing.
From fencing to circus arts: many activities planned
The program will not be a simple childcare service. In the various buildings educational, sports, and workshop activities are planned, with proposals ranging from fencing to circus arts, along with other opportunities for creativity, movement, and informal learning. Great attention is given to inclusion, to allow all girls and all boys to participate in activities regardless of their abilities. The ratio provided is one educator for every 20 children, while for the autonomy and communication of students with disabilities, the cooperative already involved during the school year will be engaged. Priority in seat allocation has been given to students with disabilities, followed by the chronological order of requests.
Which Bologna schools are participating in the project
These are the participating schools: Dozza, Zanotti, Salvo D’Acquisto, Panzini, Testoni Fioravanti, Irnerio, Jacopo Della Quercia, Guinizelli/Carracci, Guercino, Besta, Saffi, Farini, Leonardo da Vinci, Volta, Zappa, Guido Reni, Gandino, De Andrè, Lavinia Fontana, Rolandino, Pepoli, and Rita Levi Montalcini.
Councilor Daniele Ara: “A concrete response to families”
“The school that starts together” was also created to respond to a change in family needs. “Today, in most families, both parents work, and organizing the weeks before school starts can become a problem, especially for those who cannot rely on family networks or other support,” explains the School Councilor Daniele Ara. The project, he adds, “is not just a service for families: it is also a way to gradually accompany girls and boys towards the new school year,” recovering spaces, relationships, and collective dimension through sports and creative activities.
Other initiatives
The proposals do not stop here. In several buildings of the lower secondary schools, the initiative “Schools open all year round” continues, a municipal initiative dedicated to girls and boys also during the out-of-school period. The summer centers affiliated with the Municipality also remain active until the last week before classes start. For Ara, this is an investment that goes beyond the simple organization of the summer weeks: “Supporting families also means ensuring greater autonomy, opportunities, and quality of life.” A model that thus tries to make school not only the place where lessons restart but a space capable of accompanying children and families even before the ringing of the first bell.
