ATELIER Pilot School
OVERVIEW
ATELIER – innovATive Education for sociaL Inclusion via co-dEsign pRactices is a Erasmus+ European project coordinated by Politecnico di Torino – Department of Architecture and Design.
The project aims to develop a free and open educational programme dedicated to co-design for social inclusion, adopting a transdisciplinary approach.
Developed by the 8 international partners involved, the ATELIER training programme is oriented toward educating professionals capable of designing transformative interventions through the principles and practices of co-design. This approach is central to the development of products, processes, and reflections that are attentive to people and groups in conditions of vulnerability, to supporting community agency, and to promoting collaborative processes of social change.
In preparation for the official launch of the training programme (scheduled for August 2026), the project team presents the ATELIER – Pilot School. The school offers approximately 25 young people from Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Romania, and Italy the opportunity to attend the training programme in advance, combining online learning with an exclusive international in-person experience.
OBJECTIVES
The ATELIER – Pilot School provides conceptual and methodological tools to:
- explore relevant case studies in the field of co-design for social inclusion;
- contribute to the implementation of educational offerings in multidisciplinary contexts within the international scenario;
- develop skills of critical self-reflection on one’s professional role in relation to other disciplines and experiences;
- gain hands-on experience in participatory research skills, problem framing, prototyping, and the management of multi-actor collaborative processes;
- develop awareness of an ethical, situated, and responsible approach to social innovation.
PROGRAM
The Pilot School consists of two main phases—ATELIER MOOC and ATELIER Spring Experience—for a total duration of 75 hours of teaching.
1) ATELIER MOOC
Location: online (Moodle and Zoom platforms)
Period: 6 February – 15 March 2026
Mode: self-paced learning
Estimated time for completion: approximately 50 hours
Description: An interactive online course composed of 9 learning units and 25 chapters, developed by the project partners, addressing key aspects of co-design for social inclusion. The course combines self-paced learning on Moodle with 3–4 live Zoom sessions focused on collective discussion and critical reflection.
2) ATELIER Spring Experience
Location: Turin
Period: 18–19–20 March 2026
Mode: in-person
Expected duration: approximately 25 hours
Description: Three days of experiential, in-person learning held in Turin, aimed at the group of 25 international participants of the Pilot School. The ATELIER Spring Experience is intended for the practical application and consolidation of the concepts and skills learned during the MOOC. The programme includes collaborative activities, visits, testimonials, meetings with local stakeholders, and moments of exchange among participants.
TARGET AUDIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS
As part of the Italian component, the ATELIER – Pilot School is open to students of the Politecnico di Torino in the fields of Design and Architecture, preferably enrolled in Master’s degree programmes, first-level Master programmes, or PhD programmes.
Applicants are required to have a certified English proficiency level of B2 or higher.
To apply, candidates must complete the application form and submit a motivation letter at the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/niybUfmqzd
The selection will be based on the information provided in the form and the motivation letter.
Attendance is mandatory for both training phases: the ATELIER MOOC and the ATELIER Spring Experience.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION AND CONTACTS
cristian.campagnaro@polito.it
sara.ceraolo@polito.it
giorgia.curtabbi@polito.it
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