0:00:11.560,0:00:15.220
"How many of you wake up in the morning[br]thinking they're making a difference?"

0:00:16.219,0:00:17.760
That's the question

0:00:17.760,0:00:20.320
one of our 16-year-old students, Kathryn,

0:00:20.320,0:00:21.879
asked her classmates.

0:00:21.879,0:00:23.720
And nobody raised their hand.

0:00:24.529,0:00:27.560
And that's a question[br]I've been asking myself for a long time.

0:00:28.160,0:00:31.600
I have always been particularly fond[br]of environmental issues.

0:00:31.600,0:00:34.880
I remember as a child,[br]on my first National Geographic,

0:00:34.880,0:00:38.000
I saw photos of the burning Amazon;

0:00:38.720,0:00:40.320
and then growing up I realized

0:00:40.308,0:00:43.736
that environmental problems weren't only[br]on the other side of the world,

0:00:43.736,0:00:44.920
but also around us.

0:00:44.920,0:00:47.874
They were global problems,[br]but also local problems.

0:00:47.874,0:00:49.920
I'm thinking about the abuse of concrete,

0:00:49.920,0:00:52.990
that affects the landscape[br]I live in every day.

0:00:52.990,0:00:57.080
The problems, in other words,[br]of the loss of identity of our landscape

0:00:57.080,0:00:58.880
and also of ourselves.

0:00:59.550,0:01:03.040
I also think about[br]the climate change problems

0:01:03.040,0:01:05.440
that span across the globe

0:01:05.440,0:01:08.360
and empowered a single species,

0:01:08.360,0:01:09.600
the human species

0:01:09.600,0:01:13.080
to irreparably alter the climate,

0:01:13.080,0:01:15.920
ushering us into what is called[br]the Anthropocene age.

0:01:17.350,0:01:21.720
All these problems always pushed me[br]to try and do something,

0:01:22.240,0:01:24.200
and I tried to find my way.

0:01:24.200,0:01:28.640
So I graduated from university,[br]I did various types of experience

0:01:28.640,0:01:31.080
and then I landed in a research center

0:01:31.080,0:01:33.040
that dealt with environmental issues

0:01:33.040,0:01:37.440
like land consumption,[br]evaluation of plans and programs.

0:01:37.440,0:01:39.400
That's what I studied for.

0:01:40.000,0:01:42.240
But I felt - when I came home[br]in the evening -

0:01:42.240,0:01:44.360
I didn't feel really satisfied,

0:01:44.360,0:01:47.320
I felt that something was missing.

0:01:47.320,0:01:49.530
And I couldn't quite understand what.

0:01:49.530,0:01:51.510
And what happened then, you may say?

0:01:52.080,0:01:56.480
Perhaps I left, I gave up everything,[br]I completely changed my life.

0:01:56.480,0:02:00.790
No, I was actually attached[br]to the kind of work I had

0:02:00.790,0:02:05.960
because there were my classmates[br]whom I had attended university with.

0:02:05.960,0:02:09.600
The work was pleasant -[br]let's say I was in my comfort zone.

0:02:10.199,0:02:12.640
So I didn't have the courage to change.

0:02:12.640,0:02:15.160
Then an external element happened,

0:02:15.160,0:02:19.600
one that led to the closure[br]of my contract,

0:02:19.600,0:02:22.291
because they ran out[br]of funds for that research,

0:02:22.291,0:02:24.531
and I found myself in trouble.

0:02:24.531,0:02:27.710
I didn't really know what to do.

0:02:27.710,0:02:31.320
At that time, I basically saw[br]two directions before me:

0:02:31.320,0:02:35.366
either getting hired[br]in a traditional business,

0:02:35.366,0:02:38.200
then use my degree,[br]what I had studied for;

0:02:38.200,0:02:40.280
or try to start with me and my passions

0:02:40.280,0:02:41.961
and try to get involved.

0:02:41.961,0:02:43.760
And I chose this second direction.

0:02:44.560,0:02:47.560
So I founded an association

0:02:47.560,0:02:50.520
that dealt with landscape[br]and environmental issues

0:02:50.520,0:02:53.520
and tried to involve[br]municipalities and institutions.

0:02:53.520,0:02:55.960
The more I delved into these projects,

0:02:55.960,0:02:57.720
the thing I noticed

0:02:57.720,0:03:01.280
was that I was drawing on talent[br]that I had never considered before.

0:03:01.280,0:03:05.240
In particular, I considered my careers[br]as completely separate:

0:03:05.240,0:03:08.400
my passions for art[br]and my passion for the environment.

0:03:08.400,0:03:10.080
And through that experience

0:03:10.080,0:03:14.080
I was combining many things[br]I liked, many interests.

0:03:14.600,0:03:17.400
I also discovered some talents[br]that I didn't think I had,

0:03:17.400,0:03:21.920
like the ability to connect people,

0:03:21.920,0:03:23.160
to manage projects,

0:03:23.160,0:03:25.000
to use art or theater

0:03:25.000,0:03:28.440
as a communication tool[br]for environmental projects.

0:03:28.440,0:03:32.240
So a lot of things[br]I didn't know I had came out.

0:03:32.960,0:03:36.920
And all this led me to the awareness

0:03:36.920,0:03:41.160
of trying to share[br]what I learned about myself,

0:03:41.160,0:03:47.090
and I actually managed to do[br]with young people, with new generations;

0:03:47.760,0:03:49.680
and in particular work on them

0:03:49.680,0:03:53.750
to give them the tools[br]to first change their lives

0:03:53.750,0:03:57.000
and then their world,[br]their territory and their context.

0:03:57.920,0:04:02.335
That's how I started my company,[br]and it deals precisely about these issues.

0:04:02.335,0:04:06.797
And since 2014 it involved[br]more than 8000 youngsters in Italy

0:04:06.797,0:04:09.368
on projects that might make a difference.

0:04:10.058,0:04:15.320
And that was unthinkable to me,[br]when I took up this path.

0:04:15.320,0:04:17.320
Absolutely unthinkable.

0:04:17.320,0:04:20.079
And I remember a colleague in the corridor

0:04:20.079,0:04:23.213
just as I was ending[br]my previous work experience,

0:04:23.213,0:04:25.480
asked me: "But what's next?"

0:04:25.480,0:04:26.520
I told him:

0:04:26.520,0:04:27.674
"I know what I want,

0:04:27.674,0:04:29.812
I want to take care[br]of youth and environment,

0:04:29.812,0:04:31.086
and somehow I'll do it".

0:04:31.086,0:04:36.225
And I discovered a sense of security,[br]which I didn't think belong to me.

0:04:36.800,0:04:40.760
And offering young people tools for change

0:04:41.320,0:04:44.000
was an experience

0:04:44.000,0:04:47.120
that allowed them to change[br]things in some way,

0:04:47.120,0:04:49.522
starting with talents in the first place.

0:04:49.522,0:04:53.640
In fact, what we want to think about,[br]what we want to bring into the classroom

0:04:53.640,0:04:57.360
is just to make young people think[br]about who they are,

0:04:57.360,0:05:00.240
make them think[br]about what their talents are.

0:05:00.240,0:05:04.400
What are their abilities and skills?

0:05:04.400,0:05:06.130
Seems like an obvious thing,

0:05:06.130,0:05:11.360
but often, at school,[br]you don't think about your actual skills.

0:05:11.360,0:05:16.440
So one direct question we ask them is,

0:05:16.440,0:05:20.160
"What are you good at?[br]What do you like to do?

0:05:20.160,0:05:23.344
Is there something[br]that other people, who love you,

0:05:23.344,0:05:27.370
think you are actually good at?

0:05:28.280,0:05:31.520
And when the kids are forced[br]to think about it,

0:05:31.520,0:05:33.240
we see that things change.

0:05:33.240,0:05:36.880
Sometimes someone says,[br]No, I can't do anything at all.

0:05:36.880,0:05:40.240
Then try to think.

0:05:40.240,0:05:43.280
And actually, when you find a talent,[br]you find a treasure.

0:05:43.280,0:05:46.680
And in particular, one of the stories[br]I wanted to share today

0:05:46.680,0:05:50.820
deals with how talents[br]and the search for our own ones,

0:05:50.820,0:05:55.761
can untap sources of energies[br]we didn't think we had.

0:05:55.761,0:05:58.600
I'll tell you the story[br]of one of our students.

0:05:59.360,0:06:04.680
The story of a student[br]who spent five hours in a closet.

0:06:04.680,0:06:07.240
Now I'll explain why:

0:06:07.240,0:06:12.960
For me, and possibly also for you,[br]a pastel is simply a pastel,

0:06:13.790,0:06:14.800
For this kid,

0:06:14.800,0:06:19.160
a pastel was a tool[br]to educate younger generations,

0:06:19.160,0:06:22.880
to teach children how to draw nature,

0:06:22.880,0:06:25.560
and being able to teach[br]that there is no waste.

0:06:25.560,0:06:29.165
and that when you plant[br]the pastel's leftover,

0:06:29.165,0:06:32.133
which is in that case,[br]the pastel that had invented Ottavian,

0:06:32.133,0:06:33.480
was a pastel with a seed,

0:06:33.480,0:06:35.193
when you plant its leftovers,

0:06:36.383,0:06:39.412
you can generate a plant[br]that gives rise to a fruit,

0:06:39.412,0:06:42.080
a flower with the same color[br]of the pastel.

0:06:42.753,0:06:45.640
Ottavian is one of our students[br]who created this project,

0:06:45.640,0:06:49.840
a startup that creates these pastels[br]integrated with the seed

0:06:49.840,0:06:50.960
for children.

0:06:50.960,0:06:56.070
He was considered,

0:06:56.070,0:07:01.280
and he also considered himself[br]a somewhat average student.

0:07:01.280,0:07:06.238
He wasn't committed, in his own words.

0:07:06.238,0:07:09.720
And as for this project, he became[br]totally passionate about it,

0:07:09.720,0:07:12.684
and he discovered that[br]what he did in his leisure time,

0:07:12.684,0:07:15.120
what he did outside of school,

0:07:15.120,0:07:18.402
dedicating himself to videos,[br]dedicating himself to communication,

0:07:18.402,0:07:21.010
could actually be something to work on.

0:07:21.560,0:07:25.160
He then got involved in this project

0:07:25.160,0:07:28.040
and spent five hours in a closet

0:07:28.040,0:07:30.920
trying to tape the video of his startup

0:07:30.920,0:07:33.320
as perfectly as possible,

0:07:33.320,0:07:36.600
because the clothes inside the closet[br]were absorbing the sound.

0:07:38.248,0:07:42.000
And this experience allowed him[br]to somewhat change his life,

0:07:42.000,0:07:45.840
because he discovered[br]he had this talent in communication,

0:07:45.840,0:07:49.740
he managed to enter a major university[br]specialized in communication,

0:07:49.740,0:07:51.870
he won scholarships.

0:07:51.870,0:07:57.770
So reflecting on his own talents,[br]he managed to somehow find his way.

0:07:59.400,0:08:01.000
This is an example of how,

0:08:01.000,0:08:05.526
by drawing on our own resources,[br]one can make a difference

0:08:05.526,0:08:07.828
first and foremost within ourselves.

0:08:07.828,0:08:10.200
The second thing I wanted to share

0:08:10.200,0:08:17.120
was precisely the importance[br]of connecting students and youngsters

0:08:17.120,0:08:18.770
with something they don't know,

0:08:18.770,0:08:20.836
something that can actually inspire them.

0:08:21.560,0:08:22.920
What we've noticed

0:08:22.920,0:08:27.228
is that bringing them in contact[br]with innovative realities

0:08:27.182,0:08:29.880
but also with unusual places,

0:08:29.880,0:08:32.640
can actually make a difference for kids.

0:08:33.840,0:08:36.840
What you find on the slide

0:08:36.840,0:08:40.320
is a note one of our students left us,

0:08:40.320,0:08:44.840
a student from a school[br]in a quite difficult context,

0:08:44.840,0:08:51.040
a student that his professors[br]identified as fairly difficult.

0:08:51.040,0:08:55.440
And through a three-day[br]mountain experience

0:08:55.440,0:08:57.850
with a focus on environmental issues,

0:08:57.850,0:09:02.040
this guy actually communicated[br]in a different way

0:09:02.040,0:09:04.728
and eventually left us with this note.

0:09:04.728,0:09:07.320
He felt free, rediscovered himself

0:09:07.320,0:09:12.640
and rediscovered a different way[br]of communicating himself to others.

0:09:13.560,0:09:15.720
The last thing I wanted to talk about -

0:09:15.720,0:09:19.400
thus it certainly was a path[br]to make a difference -

0:09:19.400,0:09:21.640
was the discovery of one's own talents,

0:09:21.640,0:09:25.720
coming into contact with something[br]that is outside of our daily lives,

0:09:25.720,0:09:30.654
so leaving our usual boundaries

0:09:30.654,0:09:32.982
and getting in touch with realities

0:09:32.982,0:09:36.320
that perhaps, a priori,[br]did not interest us.

0:09:37.120,0:09:41.840
The third thing we want to bring[br]to young people, to schools,

0:09:41.840,0:09:45.560
is to try help them make a difference

0:09:45.560,0:09:48.280
in their own territory.

0:09:49.280,0:09:50.920
So what we do

0:09:51.440,0:09:55.200
is to help them think "community-wise".

0:09:55.192,0:09:57.480
At first I was telling you about Kathryn;

0:09:57.480,0:10:01.670
her classmates did not raise their hand[br]when she simply asked,

0:10:01.670,0:10:03.793
How do you make an impact?

0:10:03.793,0:10:06.360
But then all together[br]Kathryn and her friends

0:10:06.360,0:10:10.120
got together and managed[br]to design a project

0:10:10.120,0:10:15.450
that actually transformed Como,[br]where their school was based.

0:10:16.080,0:10:19.880
They got together[br]and designed a simple idea:

0:10:19.880,0:10:23.160
an application to nudge people to walk,

0:10:23.760,0:10:26.680
and then trying to solve

0:10:26.680,0:10:32.500
what was a problem for the city of Como,[br]environmental and air pollution

0:10:32.500,0:10:34.120
And the fact that the old town

0:10:34.120,0:10:38.840
was somehow losing its center of interest.

0:10:38.840,0:10:42.080
So these kids made this application,

0:10:42.080,0:10:44.600
they created a network of businesses

0:10:44.600,0:10:46.981
who gave discounts[br]to people who walked there.

0:10:46.981,0:10:48.840
They mobilized the citizens

0:10:48.840,0:10:53.080
and made hundreds of people[br]aware of these issues

0:10:53.080,0:10:56.800
by organizing walks after and walks[br]all around the city

0:10:56.800,0:11:00.880
with families, young children,[br]parents and so on.

0:11:00.880,0:11:03.800
And it was nice because[br]they all understood

0:11:03.800,0:11:07.960
that they could try to deepen their talent

0:11:07.960,0:11:10.400
but they could also connect it with others

0:11:10.400,0:11:13.120
and they could try to launch projects

0:11:13.120,0:11:15.188
that brought real value to their city.

0:11:17.120,0:11:20.400
So, this is the message[br]I want to leave you with.

0:11:20.400,0:11:24.800
All of us as citizens,[br]students, parents, trainers,

0:11:24.800,0:11:26.400
whatever our role,

0:11:26.400,0:11:29.400
we can try to listen to our talents,

0:11:29.400,0:11:30.820
put them on the line

0:11:30.831,0:11:33.896
and work together to build a better world.

0:11:33.896,0:11:35.456
Thank you.

0:11:35.456,0:11:38.102
(Applause)