PCTO Programme

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS, the National Institute of Health in Italy) joined the PCTO programme (Educational Pathways for Transversal Skills and Students Orientation - formerly  school-work educational programs) in 2016 (Law 107/2015).

Since then the ISS has been engaged in developing a rich set of diverse scientific activities (50-Hour Pathways, Extra Pathways, etc) designed to meet the need for scientific training in schools for a total of more than 28,000 hours and the participation of over 280 researchers. Students’ awareness of what it means to work in the health research field has increased thanks to the many initiatives that have been growing fast due to the enthusiastic participation of all the actors involved with the hope of sowing among young people also the desire to pursue a career in the world of science!

At the end of the pandemic emergency, since March 2022, some orientation pathways have started again in the Thematic Area "Communication and science". Title of the Paths: "Discovering the value of scientific research at the ISS Museum, a communication path and health pills". In each path, various health issues of interest to students are discussed.

On 22 April 2022, on the occasion of the National Women's Health Day, the "Health Pills" at the Museum were focused on Sexually Transmitted Infections with the experts from the Department of Infectious Diseases presenting scientifically correct information and discussing students' concerns.