The Piarist Fathers School
ALFANI INSTITUTE. SESTO FIORENTINO (Italia)
https://www.istitutoalfani.it/
The Alfani Institute is a recent foundation of the Piarist Fathers in Tuscany, near Florence. It dates back to 1990, when we took over from the Carmelite Sisters, present in Sesto Fiorentino for more than a century.
The Institute is located in the center of Sesto Fiorentino, a city on the western outskirts of Florence with rapid commercial growth.
The Institute is named after Father Guido Alfani, a well-known Piarist. It is very close to the Parish of San Martino and the University Technology Center of Florence.
The Piarist religious do not reside at the Institute. Two Piarists travel daily from Florence to run the Institute and coordinate the various school activities, in addition to teaching.
The staff consists mostly of lay collaborators who also perform coordinating functions.
A small community of religious sisters lives in the school. They ensure a stable presence and supervision at the school and assist in some of the daily school activities, as well as in the nearby parish.
The school has a nursery, kindergarten, elementary school and secondary school, with a total of approximately 350 students. It also has ample green areas. Its structure is functional and has a good image.
The educational project has a clear reference to Christian and Calasanctian values present. Specifically:
- A close collaboration with the family and attention to the growing period of the students.
- Seriousness in cultural research and adaptability.
- Education as a valid contribution to building a more just and caring society.
The Alfani Institute welcomes the “youngest” students of Calasanz, that is, the first school cycle. The relationship with the neighboring parish is very good, with frequent exchanges of services and use of the church for pastoral activities and liturgical celebrations. For the sacramental preparation of the students, a line of co-responsibility and sharing has been chosen, in response to the requests of the local parish priests.
The professional and religious preparation of the lay collaborators is good and appreciated by the families, with periodic meetings for pedagogical and Calasanctian formation; these meetings are also addressed to the Piarists.
The school is completely privately financed. The families support the school with their financial contributions.
