As we explore potential solutions to this, we have launched a pilot initiative in Italy aimed at fostering educational equity. This initiative has a dual focus: first, to support and prepare 200 high school students – including those from vocational tracks and low socio-economic backgrounds – for successful admission to university, in collaboration with the Universities of Milan and Naples. Second, to provide 70 of these students with a three-year scholarship totalling €5,000 per year. This scholarship will partially cover essential expenses such as housing and living costs, while also offering comprehensive tutoring and mentorship throughout their tertiary education journey. This programme exemplifies our commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering the next generation to achieve academic and professional success.
Uni.ON is an initiative promoted by UniCredit Foundation in collaboration with Fondazione Don Gino Rigoldi, aimed at encouraging and supporting young students facing socioeconomic difficulties as they transition from high school to university. The project facilitates access to science and economics courses at public universities in Italy.
The initiative is founded on the principle that merit and motivation should be recognised and rewarded, ensuring that students with the ambition to pursue higher education have the means to do so. Addressing the issue of “Lost Einsteins” – high-potential young people whose opportunities arecurtailed by inequality – these scholarships serve as a pathway to social mobility. Enrolment in STEM programmes remains disproportionately low, with just 27% of university students choosing these fields, despite an employment rate exceeding 85% for STEM graduates. Encouraging careers in these disciplines not only fosters innovation but also enhances access to high-skilled, well-remunerated professions.
On 20 December 2024, 200 fifth-year high school students from Lombardy and Campania, gathered at University of Milan and Federico II University of Naples, to attend the inaugural classes of the Winter School: 80 hours of maths, logic and science to light up their future. In Campania the initiativereceives additional support from Le Nuvole Social Enterprise.