Presented the new governance of Fondazione Reggio Children

In its new research centre, the former Caffarri of Reggio Emilia, Fondazione Reggio Children-Centro Loris Malaguzzi-ETS has presented this morning to the press and the city the new governance together with the mayor of Reggio Emilia Marco Massari and the councillor for Educational Policies Marwa Mahmoud.

The educational and research foundation that deals with projects for all ages of quality education at national and international level has recently renewed its governance for the three-year period 2024-2027 with the meetings of the Founders and Supporting Members.

The board of directors of the Reggio Children Foundation includes Francesco Profumo, former Minister of Education, Universities and Research and member of the Scientific Committee, and Vanessa Roghi, historian and author of history programs for Rai Tre, Bodini Fellow at the Italian Academy of Columbia University, Annamaria Contini, Professor and Director of the Department of Education and Humanities of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Elena Bertolini, Managing Director of the Accento Social Cooperative and the board members Harold Valdemar Göthson, senior advisor at REI-Reggio Emilia Institutet and Giuseppe Zizzo, Head of Medical Operations at Diaverum Italia. Carla Rinaldi, outgoing president, has been appointed honorary president by the mayor.

 

THE SPEAKERS' SPEECHES

"Believing in the quality of education for all girls and children around the world is the declared mission of the educational system of Reggio Emilia as a whole, a system made of extraordinary skills at the service of the little ones" declare the mayor of Reggio Emilia, Marco Massari, and the Councillor for Educational Policies of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Marwa Mahmoud. "Since 2011, the year of its birth, to date - they continue - the Reggio Children Foundation is part of this system, making participation, innovation and scientific research solid pillars of knowledge, experience, of solidarity in contrast to educational poverty and the sharing, rigorous and open together, of knowledge in education. In this sense, the Foundation is indeed a witness in the world of our quality and inclusive education". "We are grateful to the outgoing governance, to President Carla Rinaldi also for what she will now do as honorary president - they conclude. With confidence and appreciation, we address the new CDA who is preparing to take care of the Foundation, with competent guidance, wise and prestigious professor Francesco Profumo, and with the other figures who together with him will continue this extraordinary experience. To all of them we wish a work rich in new fruits for the benefit of knowledge and the rights of children, both our 'youngest' citizens, albeit only for demographic reasons, and those around the world".

The new president of Fondazione Reggio Children, Francesco Profumo, addressed the audience saying that he is "very honored and very grateful" for the appointment, followed by the indication of the Mayor of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia on the board of directors: "I have known the Foundation for many years because of my cooperation with them and with President Rinaldi, whom I thank for what he did when I was Minister of Education, Universities and Research and when I was President of the Society of São Paulo. My life has been almost entirely devoted to education, especially higher education, and in recent years, both as a minister and as the Society of Saint Paul I have taken care of children and young children in particular. On the issue of educational poverty, as president of the foundations of banking origin, we have launched a large national project. During these years I have been able to appreciate the value of Fondazione Reggio Children for what it has done and is doing, naturally also thanks to its president. The educational history of Reggio Emilia is a story that has no boundaries, this message that vibrates from Reggio Emilia has touched the culture of the world. I am very grateful, ready to learn and to work with you to create the conditions for girls and boys, from one perimeter to another, from the North and South of our country and not only from our country, to have a better life, because as you understood many years ago and demonstrated, A better life is built in the first years of life".

 "As a scientific research participation foundation, Reggio Children Foundation has embraced important challenges in recent years, from the PhD project, to the PER project with the LEGO Foundation, to the former Caffarri as a place of incubation of projects - said Honorary President Carla Rinaldi -.  Challenges that require to be carried forward with courage and confidence, looking at a childhood as quality of life that extends from 0 to 99 years.  With the President Profumo, a high profile, an acknowledgement of the prestige and credibility of the Foundation and with the new board, to which we wish good work, there will be an opportunity for Fondazione Reggio Children to continue to grow and set new goals, with a look ahead, but always immersed in the realities that we encounter, to answer together the questions of an increasingly difficult time for children, families and communities, in Italy and in the world".

The meeting, which was attended by citizens, employees and institutions of the city, was moderated and coordinated by the general director of Fondazione Reggio Children, Cristian Fabbi. The new councillors Bertolini, Contini and Roghi also spoke. Among the public, representatives of the founders, such as Fondazione Manodori, and the educational and scholastic world of Reggio Emilia, in particular of Reggio Children srl and Institution Scuole e Nidi d'Infanzia, with the president Federico Ruozzi.

THE PROFILES OF CHAIRMAN AND HONORARY CHAIRMAN

Francesco Profumo, newly appointed president of the 2024-2027 Executive Board of the Fondazione Reggio Children, whose scientific committee he has been a member since 2011, is professor emeritus at the Politecnico di Torino. Rector of the university between 2005 and 2011, was appointed in 2011 president of CNR the National Research Council and Minister of Education, Universities and Research until 2013. He was president of Iren Spa from 2013 to 2016 and president of the Bruno Kessler Foundation. He chaired the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo from 2016 to 2024 and was president of Acri. Today he leads Isybank, the digital bank of Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondo Quadrivio, Escp Business School Torino-Parigi and Uni-Italia. Member of the European Innovation Council - European Commission since 2022.

The honorary president Carla Rinaldi, pedagogue, Lego 2015 award, has been president of Fondazione Reggio Children since its birth in 2011. From 1970 to 1994 she was a teacher, then pedagogical director of services for early childhood in the Municipality of Reggio Emilia alongside Loris Malaguzzi. She was president of Reggio Children srl. Since 1999 she is a lecturer at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. In several countries of the world she has been visiting professor and consultant to governments. His book "In dialogue with Reggio Emilia" is translated on all continents. Among the conferences to which it has been invited, the summits held by the Pontifical Academy in the presence of the Pope on the Global Compact on Education in 2020 and on Climate Change in 2024.