“We are not digital natives. We try to keep up with our students, trying to follow them.” The words of a teacher at the Raineri Marcora agri-food campus, which combines agricultural and hospitality courses, perfectly capture the spirit with which the teaching staff has decided to approach the new year: to get involved, without fear, in the language of the new generations.
The history of Raineri–Marcora in Piacenza
The Agricultural Technical Institute of Piacenza opened its doors in 1947 and gained autonomy just over ten years later, in 1958. In 1966, it found its permanent home in Via Agazzana: a modern facility for its time, with chemistry, physics, science, and agronomy laboratories, designed to respond to the transformations in the agricultural world of the 1960s. The institute was named after Giovanni Raineri, a professor, politician, and Minister of Agriculture, a prominent figure who promoted fundamental reforms such as the forestry law and the renewal of agricultural education.
In 1997, the school merged with the Professional Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, founded in 1970 and dedicated to Giovanni Marcora, also a minister. This led to the creation of the Raineri-Marcora agri-food campus, with a structure spread over several locations: Piacenza, Cortemaggiore, where agro-industrial operators specializing in meat processing and bread making are trained, and Castel San Giovanni, which houses an experimental winery capable of producing DOC wines from the Piacenza hills, classic method sparkling wines, and sweet wines. Since 2022, an oil mill has also been operating here, the result of collaboration with the Val Tidone olive growers’ association.
The institute has experimented with unique training courses: in 1996, it launched courses for agricultural operators within the Piacenza Prison, offering study opportunities to prisoners, albeit with timings and methods adapted to their circumstances.
In 2003, alongside the agricultural tradition, a new chapter began with the launch of the food and wine program, which required continuous adaptation of the facilities and staff to meet the needs of the restaurant and tourism industry.
Since 2010, Raineri-Marcora has established itself as a leading school for the Piacenza agri-food sector, thanks in part to a technical-scientific committee that strengthens ties with the local area and the world of work. At the same time, the school has embarked on a process of progressive digitalization: electronic registers, Wi-Fi in all classrooms, advanced IT equipment, and innovative laboratories ranging from photogrammetry with drones to robotics applied to animal husbandry.
In recent years, attention has also shifted towards the new frontiers of sustainability. In 2023, a vertical hydroponic greenhouse financed with PNRR Green funds was inaugurated, while the dining room and reception laboratories were renovated with multimedia devices and new reception areas, marking a further step towards teaching that combines tradition and innovation.
Today, Raineri–Marcora is not just a school, but a true agri-food campus: a place where the agricultural history of the territory meets the most advanced technologies, training technicians, operators, and professionals capable of facing the challenges of the future.
This year, the start of classes was anything but ordinary. Alongside registers, meetings, and planning, teachers participated in a multimedia communication workshop promoted by the Futura PNRR project.
Podcasts, digital journalism, social networks, and creative tools such as Canva were the focus of training days organized by ETN School, an educational training institution, which transformed the classroom into a space for experimentation.
The surprise was twofold: on the one hand, enthusiasm for tools often considered exclusive to students, and on the other, the discovery that digital technology is no longer ‘elsewhere’ but a meeting ground. A bridge between worlds that seem distant but can communicate with each other.
‘This experience teaches me to put myself in the students’ shoes,’ says Sonia Castellani. “Compared to my generation, they are quicker and more receptive to the use of technology. The course helped me bridge a gap that I felt was growing wider and wider.”
Alongside the enthusiasm, there is no lack of critical thinking. “The technological era is now,” reflects Paola Malvicini. “It is an important language, but it must not become invasive. Technology should be understood and used as a tool, not as an end in itself.”
A balance between curiosity and awareness: this is the common thread that guides the path of Raineri Marcora. Because, beyond a new social network or a newly learned app, there remains the desire to speak the same language as the students without giving up one’s own voice.
Thus, in Piacenza, the school year did not simply begin: it started with a challenge. E with the certainty that even teachers, today, can be digital explorers alongside their students.
The teachers have created a number of podcasts, including a joint message to students at the beginning of the year
as well as a podcast in English
https://soundcloud.com/campus-raineri-marcora/tourism-talks-episode-1
