Press Release

After signing a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education and Merit, a new project aimed at promoting a culture of water recovery, reuse, and recycling in elementary and middle schools is about to start.  

"Acea School" returns to classrooms with the "Water Education" project, aimed at elementary and secondary school students. These initiatives are part of the three-year protocol signed last February by Acea’s CEO, Fabrizio Palermo, and the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, with the goal of promoting information and training activities on the integrated water cycle and responsible water use in schools.                                                                                                                                             

This edition, for the 2024-2025 school year, the first under the new protocol, will initially involve the six Italian regions where the Acea Group operates: Lazio, Campania, Umbria, Tuscany, Molise, and Valle d'Aosta.  The project will later be extended to schools across the entire national territory. The educational path will be available online through a dedicated platform and will be divided into three sessions, each one tailored in language and content to three student groups (first, second, and third grade; fourth and fifth grade, and sixth, seventh, and eighth grade).                                                                                                                                                          

By using a playful-scientific approach, the educational activities will create an immersive journey into the world of water. Starting from an analysis of the global context, the project will offer advice and best practices on responsible water use, as well as tips on how to save and recycle water in daily life. There will also be a specific focus on the geography of water, the natural cycle, ecosystems, and the integrated water cycle. Additionally, the project will highlight waterworks, Rome’s fountains, and "nasoni" (Rome's typical drinking fountains), along with modern Acea's houses of water in the areas where the Group operates. Interactive quizzes will be available for each session, and guided tours of the Acea Group's plants will be offered to schools that request them, based on a timetable that will be available on the platform. The project will end with a contest that will award the best video on water education among those submitted participating students.

"The three-year memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education and Merit and ACEA has started - stated Minister Giuseppe Valditara-. The planned activities will help promote a culture of sustainability and responsible water resource management in Italian schools. Water is a fundamental asset for food security and ecosystem protection; educating young people on responsible natural resource use is an essential part of civic education."

"The Acea Group's goal - stated CEO Fabrizio Palermo - is to promote a conscious use of water resources and to emphasize the importance of a constant commitment to water protection amid the scenarios of climate change and drought risk. We hope that this educational path for schools, made possible through a fruitful collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit - for which I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Minister Valditara -  will help foster a culture of water reuse among young people, so that they can adopt lifestyles that are more respectful towards a such precious resource".

LINK to the February 2024 press release on the signing of the three-year memorandum of understanding between ACEA and the Ministry of Education and Merit