The educative project MelArete proposes an interpretation of ethical education: a form of Education to Virtue Ethics in the light of the philosophy of care. Starting from the ontological assumption that care is prime in life and without it the human being cannot flourish in his/her humanity, the project is based on an interpretation of the pedagogy of care. Since the practice of care reveals to have an ethical core and that core is made of ways of being-with-the-others, the pedagogical theory of MelArete states that in order to develop a project that is in relationship with the core of life we must educate to care. Therefore, educating to care means educating to virtues. On this basis MelArete proposes activities with the aim to guide children's attention to the concepts of care and virtues. MelArete has its many references in Plato and Aristotle; besides it assumes the distinction of Ricoeur between ethics and morality. In Plato/Socrates (Alcibiades I) ethics is an educational action that allows the others to thrive in their own existential capabilities; moreover, in Aristotle's (Nicomachean Ethics) ethics searches for eudaimonia, a good quality of life. In our educational project with children, the educative methods are the following: conversations (promoting intersubjective thought), narratives (reading and writing stories about virtues), vignettes and games (stimulating ethical thinking through a playful language) and the "diary of virtues" (promoting a reflecting culture of virtues in everyday life). In this paper we present the theoretical background of the project and a summary of the pedagogical approach and application which we are testing in our research.

In order to answer the call of Agenda 2030 (UN, 2015), higher education must assist in giving form to a new society in which democracy is cultivated in both the minds and practices of our society. A democratic education is the answer to the challenges of contemporary society, which is characterized by indifference and an unwillingness to engage for the common good. Educational practices are often aligned to this trend so that they are planned with the aim of developing competences useful for individual success and the economic improvement of society. It is necessary to envision a new design for higher education that promotes in people the disposition to engage in the construction of a society where everyone has an equal opportunity to live a good and fulfilling life. Useful for this purpose can be a rediscovery of the classical position of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle that present virtue and ethics as a theoretical framework for education. This framework can be used as a foundation upon which to renew academic practices by planning and designing experiences able to translate theory into actions. Service learning is an interesting model that would allow for this and would guide practices that support a democratic education informed by virtue and ethics. If useful for redirecting higher education, service learning is particularly suitable for educating teachers, the practitioners who have a great responsibility for transforming society through education. In this paper, after developing the appropriate theoretical framework, we present, as an example of service learning, the Community Research Service Learning experience carried out at the University of Verona in the Primary Teacher Education master's degree program. Keywords: higher education; service

The apprenticeship has a crucial role in many teachers ' training programs, nevertheless

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Background Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is an integrated approach to sexual health and wellbeing promotion, especially effective when performed in school settings, but it is not included in Italian school curricula. This study describes the creation and early results of a pilot experience targeting students attending 20 lower secondary schools (LSS) in 4 Italian regions within EduForIST project, funded by the Ministry of Health. Methods A literature review and a national survey were used to collect guidelines and best practices in the field of sexuality education (SE), along with focus groups and multisectorial expert consultations. The results informed the development of 4 modules of 2 hours each, addressing: changes in adolescence; emotions and relationships; sexual identities and diversity; sexual consent, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, sexual health services. A final session was dedicated to evaluation. Results The pre-test results referred to 14 classrooms of 5 schools within 2 Regions, for a total of 266 students. A high level of uncertainty was reported, regarding the topics of personal identity development (37,4%), experiencing intense emotions during adolescence (18,1%), the definitions of gender identity, sexual orientation and stereotype (42,1%), STI symptoms (58,7%) and prevention (43,4%). The post-test results were available for 153 students. Pre/post analysis showed an increase of correct answers (p<.05) for 12/15 items investigated. A total of 102 students responded to the satisfaction questionnaire, with positive results. Conclusions Preliminary results revealed knowledge gaps and high levels of uncertainty among LSS students. Early pre/post evaluation suggested that the pilot activity was effective in enhancing knowledge and decreasing uncertainty in all domains. Evidence collected through this study will foster awareness among policy makers on the value and urgency of introducing CSE in Italian school curricula. Key messages