Our Mission

We are a diverse team of 12 entrepreneurial students from Slovakia, Ukraine, India, Armenia, Russia, and the USA. Together, we are undertaking a 2.5‐week field experience in Italy to explore how architecture, institutions, and educational systems shape opportunities across generations.

Why This Matters

Unequal access to education remains one of the biggest forces shaping life trajectories worldwide. By comparing Italy with Central Europe, we seek to understand:
• why institutions function and look different across regions
• how architecture reflects societal values and approaches to opportunity
• what young leaders can learn to help build more equitable systems

This is not tourism—it is field research, institutional immersion,
and civic understanding.

What We Will Study in Italy:
• Visits to international schools and comparative education research
• Meetings with architects analyzing institutional architecture 
• Exploration of historic and civic buildings showing Italy's institutional evolution
• Engagement with NGOs addressing social and community challenges
• Documentation of how design shapes learning, opportunity, and community life
This is not tourism—it is field research, institutional immersion, and civic understanding.

Why We Are Asking for Support

We are raising €700 to make this learning experience accessible for our 12‐member team.

Funds will directly support:
• travel for institutional and educational visits
• access to organizations, schools, and architectural sites
• local transportation for field research

Every contribution expands our ability to learn, observe, document, and bring insights back to our community. 
The project is also co-financed by LEAF Academy, which helps cover additional costs associated with the project's implementation.

Output

To ensure long‐term value, we will produce:

• a comparative analysis of Italian and Central European institutional systems
• field research outputs: interviews, observations, architectural notes
• a reflection portfolio on civic engagement and structural inequality
• a final presentation for the LEAF Academy community

Thank you for supporting our mission!