RAISE’s Spoke 5 brings the inSPAIR project to schools: an educational journey to imagine the future and understand the present
On Wednesday, May 7th, 2025, at the Steam International High School in Parma, the pre-pilot project inSPAIR was launched—an innovative educational initiative promoted by Spoke 5 of RAISE – Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment, with scientific coordination by the Institute for Educational Technologies of the National Research Council (ITD-CNR).
The project offered an original and impactful educational challenge, aiming to guide students in a conscious reflection on the technological, environmental, and social changes transforming today’s world. Through an approach rooted in speculative future studies, fourth-year high school students engaged in a journey that combined imagination, critical analysis and experimentation.
The activities – led by specially trained teachers and supported by ITD-CNR researchers – involved exploring future scenarios concerning the use of artificial intelligence, robotics and emerging technologies in various aspects of everyday life: from health to mobility, education to environmental sustainability. Using digital avatars, students were able to put themselves in the shoes of tomorrow’s decision-makers, assessing opportunities, risks, and ethical dilemmas.
Special attention was given to the ethical dimension of technology, as emphasized by researcher Stefania Bocconi (ITD-CNR): “Technology is often viewed as neutral, but it is not. It is crucial for young people to learn to critically reflect on what lies behind intelligent tools, algorithms, and devices”.
The initiative aligned fully with the goals of Spoke 5 of RAISE, dedicated to education and public awareness in the digital and ecological transition, showing how educational research can concretely contribute to developing transversal skills and strengthening critical thinking among younger generations.
The inSPAIR project marked a first step towards building structured educational pathways for future literacy, laying the foundation for further experiments and collaborations between the research community and educational institutions.
