Press Review – Vanity Fair and Wired Italian edition: “Nasa enters in Italian Schools”

Esteemed Italian Magazines Wired and Vanity Fair Spotlight Novi Education’s “Moonshot” Program Bringing NASA-Inspired STEM Learning to Italian Schools

We are incredibly proud to share that Novi Education and our innovative “Moonshot” program have been featured in two of Italy’s most prestigious magazines, Wired Italia and Vanity Fair Italia, in their editions published on May 14, 2025. Both publications have highlighted our commitment to transforming STEM education by bringing the excitement of space exploration directly into Italian classrooms.

Wired Italia, in an article by Elena Capilupi titled “Nasa nelle scuole italiane, il nuovo progetto di Novi Education e Banca Ifis” (Nasa in Italian schools, the new project by Novi Education and Banca Ifis), emphasizes how Moonshot offers “a journey into space to learn STEM disciplines with the same approach that NASA astronauts use.” They note that a thousand students aged 7 to 18 are set to receive certificates from the Houston Space Center for completing the program, which delves into “the principles of rocketry, space technologies, and robotic coding for lunar exploration.”

Wired highlights that Moonshot, “brought to Italy by Novi Education” and “developed ad hoc for schools in collaboration with NASA’s Houston Space Center,” acts as a complementary methodology to traditional teaching. The article quotes our co-CEO and founder, Valter Spano: “We wanted to propose a paradigm shift… with a partnership together with the Space Center Houston… Our goal is to stimulate Italian school students through an innovative program that facilitates their learning and strengthens their skills in those subjects where strong knowledge gaps often still exist.”

The crucial role of Banca Ifis is also underscored by Wired, explaining that their support “allowed Novi Education to extend Moonshot beyond the private education context, reaching within five public schools” in Rome, benefiting 1,000 students. Rosalba Benedetto, Vice President of Banca Ifis, is quoted saying, “As a systemically important bank sensitive to social issues, we are deeply aware of how our contribution can help bridge the gap between public and private… Supporting initiatives like this means investing in the future.”

Vanity Fair Italia, in their piece “La Nasa arriva nelle scuole italiane” (NASA arrives in Italian schools), similarly celebrates the Moonshot program, describing how “a thousand students between 7 and 18 years old… studied STEM like real astronauts.” The magazine details how the program, “brought to Italy by Novi Education,” was “developed in collaboration with the Houston Space Center” and teaches students practical applications like “how to grow food on the Moon, how to produce oxygen or how to protect astronauts from solar radiation,” alongside crucial soft skills such as “teamwork, communication in difficult moments, and then addresses issues such as resilience and responsibility.”

Vanity Fair also features Valter Spano, explaining the vision behind Moonshot: “We wanted to propose a paradigm shift with a world icon of progress like the Space Center Houston… We want to stimulate young people with a practical and engaging method that strengthens their scientific skills, where the major gaps are often concentrated.”

The article echoes Wired’s praise for Banca Ifis, noting their funding “guaranteed free access to more than a thousand students” in five state schools in Rome. Rosalba Benedetto of Banca Ifis told Vanity Fair: “As a systemically important bank, we are convinced that it is our duty to contribute to reducing the gap between public and private, especially in a country like Italy where brain drain and demographic aging are structural problems.”

Both publications point towards the burgeoning space economy, with Wired citing McKinsey estimates of the market potentially reaching $1.8 trillion by 2030. They conclude that initiatives like Moonshot are vital, with Vanity Fair stating, “Italy, in this global space race, has the cards to play a leading role. Provided it starts preparing its astronauts from the school desks.”

We at Novi Education are thrilled by this recognition and remain dedicated to empowering the next generation of innovators and thinkers through engaging, hands-on STEM learning.

Vanity Fair – 14/05/2025 – La Nasa entra nelle scuole
Source: https://www.vanityfair.it/article/nasa-scuole-banca-ifis