Rossi-Doria Culinary Institute of Avellino Wins International Inclusion Award

The Rossi-Doria Culinary Institute of Avellino, led by Maria Teesa Cipriano, has won the international inclusion award as part of the "A Week for Inclusion" initiative organized by the University of Macerata, with the sponsorship of the Municipality and in collaboration with the Italian Society of Special Education Sipes and the Marche Culture Foundation. The award ceremony, held at the Lauro Rossi Theater in Macerata, represents a significant achievement for the Irpinian educational community, which aspires to be increasingly inclusive through the implementation and sharing of good practices and sustainable teaching. This year, the school in Avellino distinguished itself again with the project 'Inclusions and Relations' to support the promotion and respect of diversity, hospitality, and interculturality, based on a long-term design aimed at building a plural community through constant synergy with associations and local entities. The actions carried out by the Rossi Doria Culinary Institute are not limited to the 'inclusion week' alone but are conceived as a lasting journey marked by community events such as social dinners and numerous inclusive laboratory activities, in addition to training for about 200 teachers, and a provincial contest that saw the participation of about 450 students from Irpinia. The program outlined by the Institute on Via Visconti involved strategically 13 local associations and territorial entities, including the Association for People with Down Syndrome, Consortia for Unaccompanied Foreign Minors, the Social Enterprise Autism, and numerous foster homes. The inclusive workshops involved children with autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome, as well as unaccompanied foreign minors and people hosted in foster homes, with parents, female students, and students of the institute acting as tutors. Meanwhile, the living libraries experience also involved members of the LGBTQ community, unaccompanied foreign minors, and the fair trade shop. It is not the first time that the Ipseoa Rossi Doria of Avellino has made headlines for participating and winning awards in national and international competitions, bringing prestige to the city and the entire province of Irpinia.