Lombardy: the new ‘Scuola in Ascolto’ call for applications is now open

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - In Lombardy, the new ‘Scuola in Ascolto’ call for proposals has been launched for the three-year period 2026–2029. With a budget of €3.7 million, the initiative aims to listen to pupils in order to prevent distress and promote the psychological, educational and social wellbeing of the younger generation, strengthen educational communities and build an increasingly inclusive school system. The scheme is aimed at state and state-recognised schools at primary and secondary level, as well as training institutions within the Vocational Education and Training (IeFP) system. Furthermore, the initiative forms part of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the Lombardy Region and the Regional Education Office for Lombardy. ‘Building on the results of the first programme, the initiative has been strengthened with a budget of 3,738,000 euros – higher than that of the previous three-year period – and with significant new measures designed to simplify schools’ work, build on the experience gained locally and ensure the continuity of support services’, explained Simona Tironi, Regional Councillor for Education, Training and Employment, noting that “the results achieved during the 2023–2025 three-year period confirm the importance of the Lombardy Region’s investment”.

In particular, thanks to 52 local networks – comprising state schools, state-recognised private schools and educational institutions – the project has already involved 945 schools and educational institutions across the entire region. A total of 417 professionals have been contracted, including 301 psychologists and 116 educationalists. Through 391 counselling centres, thousands of one-to-one sessions have been held with pupils, families and school staff, and 381 interventions have been carried out directly in classrooms, focusing on the prevention of mental health issues, emotional education and the promotion of wellbeing.

With regard to the new call for proposals, an initial phase is planned to gather expressions of interest in order to identify the lead educational and training institutions and their respective local networks interested in delivering the service. Lead institutions meeting the required criteria will be selected and will proceed to the second phase, which is dedicated to the delivery of the service and its funding. Expressions of Interest must be submitted to the Lombardy Region exclusively online via the ‘Bandi e Servizi’ platform, from 12.00 on 27 July until 17.00 on 2 October, following authentication via SPID, Electronic Identity Card (CIE) or National/Regional Services Card (CNS/CRS). For any enquiries, please contact the dedicated email address: scuolainascolto@regione.lombardia.it

“In just a few years, ‘Scuola in Ascolto’ has become a point of reference for school communities in Lombardy, helping to create more inclusive educational environments that are attentive to pupils’ needs and capable of intervening promptly in situations of vulnerability,” stressed Tironi, who, a few months ago, in March 2026, during his visit to Chiara Mocchi – the French teacher from Trescore Balneario (BG) who was stabbed by a 13-year-old in the corridors of the ‘Leonardo Da Vinci’ Comprehensive School and subsequently admitted to the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, highlighted the importance of the ‘Scuola in Ascolto’ helpdesks as ‘vital points of support within schools for identifying vulnerability, needs and warning signs that cannot be ignored’. It is worth noting that on 29 May, during the Festa della Lombardia, the teacher was awarded the Rosa Camuna Prize, the highest honour bestowed by the Region.