PARTNERS

ABF direct aid project in direct coordination with the Extraordinary Commissioner

THE NETWORK

Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction from the Italian Government, Regional School Office (URS) of the Marche Region, San Ginesio Council.

THE PROJECT

After rebuilding the “G. Leopardi” Middle School in Sarnano, the “E. De Amicis” School Complex in Muccia and the “F. Corelli” Music Academy in Camerino, the Andrea Bocelli Foundation is dedicating a new project to the Marche region, to rebuild the IPSIA “R. FRAU”  Vocational School, in San Ginesio (MC), which will see the construction of a school designed and developed according to the guidelines of the Foundation’s team of experts.

San Ginesio is a medieval town of 3,300 inhabitants, where 95% of the public buildings and 68% of private homes are uninhabitable. Before the earthquake, the “R. FRAU” Vocational High School for Industry and Craftsmanship had over 150 students enrolled, a number that then fell to less than half of this due to the school’s temporary structure, which was first located on the 3rd floor of San Ginesio Middle School and then moved to the former Youth Center in Passo San Ginesio.

There will be relevant spaces and equipment for two study courses in the new school: Mechanics/Electronics/Automation/Robotics/Industrial IT and Wood/Furniture/Design and Violin Making (currently being developed). Even the common living and social spaces, such as the entrance and the assembly hall, will feature an innovative layout in order to foster exchange and the participation of everyone within the school’s internal and external spaces.

As with its other rebuilding projects, the Foundation has created a multidisciplinary team of professionals, architects, engineers, and educationalists in order to build larger projects that not only benefit the students, but also the entire community. Projects that extend beyond the walls of the building and can inspire similar initiatives in other places, all in line with goal 4.7 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda: “Education for sustainable development and global citizenship”

ABF ACTIONS

ABF will work alongside the Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction to rebuild the new school that will then be handed over “turnkey” to the Municipality of San Ginesio: the Foundation will take on the role of designer and project manager.

The new facility – which will be built using the latest construction and anti-seismic techniques – will be able to host up to 200 students, who will attend classes in the 10 classrooms, as well as make use of the 800 m² of laboratories dedicated to mechanics/mechatronics and woodworking; the library and the music workshop will be integrated within and spread throughout the large spaces of the central agora. Outdoor lessons will also be possible thanks to an area built on a covered patio. There, the students will be able to take advantage of educational courses, such as:

• Mechanics, electronics, robotics and industrial computing.
• Woodworking, design and violin making.
• The new professional course for sound engineers developed thanks to ABF skills and methodologies.

The facility is also equipped with a 400-m² gym with locker rooms that will also be used by the entire community of San Ginesio. A 5-a-side soccer pitch will also be built on an adjoining parcel of land.

ABF’s project will include the donation of the technical design and the works management until the building is complete. Afterwards ABF’s team, as already occurs for the schools in Sarnano, Muccia and Camerino, will continue to be present in the school, providing support to the teaching staff, students and the community.

The construction will be carried out and completed with the funds made available by the Commission for the 2016 Central Italy Earthquake, following the procedure dictated by the procurement code, under the direct supervision of ABF’s team of professionals.

THE CONTEXT

On August 24, 2016, at 3.36 am a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit the central part of Italy, namely the territories of Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria. Thousands of people were involved in the event which left 299 dead, several injured and caused serious damage to the territories.

On October 26 and 30, new violent shocks hit Central Italy, in particular the border between Umbria and the Marche region. The tremor recorded on October 30 had a 6.5 magnitude and was the strongest in the last 30 years: the number of people unable to access their homes and the amount of damages grew exponentially, although no victims were reported.