Gonzaga Institute, Palermo
Location
Piersanti Mattarella Road, Palermo, Italy
Information
TypeJesuit, Catholic
Established1919; 105 years ago (1919)
StaffAbout 50
GradesFrom 18 months to 18 years
GenderCoeducational
NewspaperThe Gonzagan
WebsiteGonzagaPalermo

Gonzaga Institute, Palermo, is a Catholic school founded by the Society of Jesus in 1919. It offers educational programs for children from 18 months to 18 years, including an international school that facilitates entrance to universities worldwide. Gonzaga became coeducational in 1996 by uniting with Ancelle Institute for girls, its next door neighbor.[1]

Academics

edit

Gonzaga Institute is situated in Palermo. Sicily, and is a part of the network of Jesuit schools in Italy pursuing a holistic education for its students according to the principles of Ignatian pedagogy and educating "men and women for others."[2] Included in its objectives are an effort to impart internationalism, ecological awareness, and a familiar relationship with the Jesus Christ.[3]

The International School Palermo (ISP) was added in 2008 with teaching mainly in English. Since 2013 it has been accredited for the International Baccalaureate Diploma and since 2017 has reached two-year-olds with bilingual education. At age three students in the program are taught in English for about 30 hours a week and for 5 hours in Italian. The ISP, which begins officially at age six, is not subject to national regulations but responsive rather to requirements for university admissions worldwide.[4]

English is a stressed throughout beginning at the primary level, with Cambridge certification from age six. Trilingualism is mandatory in middle school, with French and Spanish added to the offerings. Study abroad programs include spending fourth year high at Stonyhurst (England) and high school exchanges in Italy and abroad.[5]

In 2008-09 there were 1459 pupils in the various schools: International, 22; military, 130 ; primary 444; secondary 281; classic liceo, 252; scientific liceo, 112; European language, 218 pupils.[1]

Activities

edit

Activities offered by the school include football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, karate, fencing, olympic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, dance, and music.[6]

Students from Gonzaga take advantage of the many opportunities offered by the Jesuit Astalli Center in Palermo.[7] High school students from second to fifth year spend an hour and a half volunteering one evening every other week. This often involves assisting refugee children from Africa with their school work.[8] Another resource for social awareness training in town is Arrupe Institute which writes: "Social education for volunteering of young people and knowledge of the territory and of its social capital has been realized in recent years in collaboration of Arrupe Institute with the Magis Project and Legality Project of the Gonzaga Institute of Palermo."[9]

For spiritual growth of students, one of the school's offerings is the Youth Eucharistic Movement (MEG) with programs at various age levels directed at knowing and following more closely the Jesus of the Gospels. Two regional days and a national convention are held each year in which youth share the spirit of the movement.[10]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Dagli anni '80 ad oggi – Istituto Gonzaga". wordpress.uriosweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  2. ^ "Men for Others". onlineministries.creighton.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  3. ^ "Chi siamo – Istituto Gonzaga". www.gonzagapalermo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  4. ^ "International School Palermo – Istituto Gonzaga". www.gonzagapalermo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  5. ^ "INTERNAZIONALITÀ – Istituto Gonzaga". wordpress.uriosweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  6. ^ "Sport e Cultura – Istituto Gonzaga". wordpress.uriosweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  7. ^ ONLUS, Europe Consulting (2013-06-08). "Centro Astalli Palermo - Centro Astalli". Centro Astalli (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  8. ^ "VOLONTARIATO – Istituto Gonzaga". wordpress.uriosweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  9. ^ "Istituto di formazione politica "Pedro Arrupe" - centro studi sociali". Istituto di formazione politica "Pedro Arrupe" (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  10. ^ "MEG – Istituto Gonzaga". wordpress.uriosweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2017-08-19.

38°7′54.24″N 13°20′48.87″E / 38.1317333°N 13.3469083°E / 38.1317333; 13.3469083 Category:Jesuit secondary schools Category:Roman Catholic schools in Italy Category:Educational institutions established in 1919