Who was Mario Lodi? And why did he play such an important role in the Italian school system and pedagogy? The famous teacher and writer who revolutionized primary school teaching from the 1950s onwards will be the subject of the events taking place on Thursday 3 June from 5 to 7 pm on the occasion of the webinar Mario Lodi’s school concept.

The event will present this great pedagogist who, with a new methodological approach, demonstrated the importance of doing with the hands and the body, of creating, of working together to help students develop cognitive, linguistic, and social skills.

The event, moderated and coordinated by Pamela Giorgi, will be attended by Francesco Tonucci, associate researcher of the Institute of Science and Technology of Cognition ISTC of the CNR; Carla Ida Salviati, essayist and journalist; Juri Meda, professor of History of Education at the University of Macerata (find here the biographies of the speakers).

June 3th is only the first day of a series of events that will be organized over the next few months and throughout 2022 – the year of the centenary of the birth of Lodi – to explore the figure of one of the protagonists of the pedagogical renewal of the Italian school, and also writer of many children’s stories and trainer of generations of teachers.

Take part in the webinar (3/6 at 5pm. Password: “lodi”) >>

Mario Lodi (1922 – 2014)

February 17^th, 2022 will mark the centenary of Mario Lodi’s birth. Committed intellectual, teacher, teacher trainer, protagonist of the pedagogical renewal of the Italian school system in a democratic key, in the sixties and seventies, exponent of the Educational Cooperation Movement, Lodi exposed the cornerstones of his innovative teaching experience in the two diaries “C’è speranza se questo accade al Vho” (There is hope if this happens at Vho) (1963) and “Il paese sbagliato”, (The wrong country) (1970), which over time have become two essential points of reference for those who believe that the school must transmit a solid democratic culture by educating to peace, justice and equality.

Lodi was also one of the most important authors of children’s and youth books of the late twentieth century: his book “Cipì”, published for the first time in 1961, is now considered a classic, translated into many languages ​​and still successfully printed by Einaudi Ragazzi.

For the high contribution that Mario Lodi has given to the Italian school system, a group of intellectuals close to him, together with his family and the Board of Directors of the House of Arts and Games – Mario Lodi, an association he founded in 1989, has established a Promoting Committee with the task of launching and coordinating initiatives aimed at celebrating the thought and work of this extraordinary teacher and writer, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. The programme, presented last February 17^th, one year before the centenary of his birthday, sees a wide involvement of public and private institutions and the active participation of schools.

Information and updates on the dedicated website: www.centenariomariolodi.it