The Municipality of Milan is a local authority. The Education Department is composed by different areas: 1. Childhood Services Area 2. the Educational Services Area, 3. School building and logistic Area. The Childhood Area is managed by a Director and manages over 300 educational services for early childhood. The services welcome every morning more than 29.000 children from 0 to 6 years old. Within each service there is a respective educational, administrative, secretarial and auxiliary staff. The services in the area are divided into 67 educational units, each educational unit is composed by kindergarten and Preschools (0/6 system) The School Manager of each educational unit reports directly to the Area Director.
Another important element is the centralised administrative structure that guarantees adequate management of the services. The administrative structure consists of 8 units and 3 offices such as: Integrative Services Unit; Innovation Projects Promotion and Development Unit; Pedagogical Coordination Unit; Legal-Economic Accounting Coordination Unit; Project Office; Child Protection Office; Process and Quality Monitoring Office. Regarding the staff number: 67 school leader, 100 people in central offices, 3500 teachers and educators.
Municipality of Milan – Ecec services Area has been managing Ecec Services for over 50 years and developed a strong pedagogical approach; the childhood services of the Municipality of Milan are places where time, spaces, daily actions are designed according to the following values:
– WELLBEING: the concept of children’s well-being guides choices and educational experiences of our services and translates into the care of primary, emotional and social needs, combined with the safeguarding of right of every child to progressive autonomy which allows the development of their potential.
– PLURALISM AND INCLUSION: every child is unique, every family is unique, and diversitỳ is experienced as a resource and an opportunity to growth for all. Inclusion is welcoming all children and family, regardless of nationality, social background, gender.
– CORRESPONSIBILITY: the growth path of the child must involve families and operators through actions that materialize in daily communications, active participation, collaborating and sharing.
– CONTINUITY 0/6: we accompany the growth of the child from 3 months at the age of 6, planning a coherent and respectful educational path, that helps him to live coherent educational experiences linked to each others, even in the transition from one cycle to another.
– RIGHTS: Respect childhood, value it as a common good and as a resource, it means for us to support the families in the parenting task and to promote attentive social policies and sustainable that keep the rights of the little ones at the centre.
Franca Locati Head of the Projects Office of the ECEC Area – Education Directorate. She has been involved for many years in project planning and management for children and is Chair of the Working Group Children and Young People of Eurocities, a network of exchange and comparison among more than 40 European cities that aims to exchange best practices and policy strategies for combating educational poverty and promoting the well-being of all girls and boys. She has also worked in the areas of international protection and reception and inclusion of migrants and refugees.
Elettra Grandi Project officer: experience (> 5 years in the implementation and management of projects financed by national and international public-private entities for the ECEC services Area of the City of Milan. Sociology background with a specific focus on inequality and intersectionality. Sociology background with a specific focus on inequality and intersectionality.
Elisabetta Dodi Head of the Innovation Projects Promotion and Development Unit, Education Department, City of Milan. Her role encompasses the following: development and redesign of educational and pedagogical activities for the 0-6; promotion and implementation of training/upskilling for educational staff; promotion and monitoring of educational activities aimed at the cognitive, affective and social development of children 0-6; promotion and development of innovative interventions for the qualitative development of ECEC Services; project design and implementation, in collaboration with Territorial Educational Units and other Units of the Area
Enza Stragapede School manager – Educational Services Unit n. 66, City district 9, City of Milan. As School manager, she currently coordinates two kindergartens and three preschools in the educational unit under her responsibility, taking care of their management from a pedagogical and organizational point of view. She has worked as pedagogist in a number of Local authorities and as a trainer of professionals in the ECEC Services. She holds a Master’s degree in Philosophical Sciences, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a three-year Master’s degree in Clinical Pedagogy.