Information specialists and researchers working together for health promotion: Benefits from school-work educational programmes at the National Institute of Health in Italy

Abstract

In 2015, the Italian Ministry of Education in Italy launched innovative upper school educational programmes envisaging school-work initiatives. In this framework, the National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS) was among the first scientific institutions to develop educational programmes with school. Involving school students in health research activities allowed health literacy improvement, acquisition of scientific communication skills and fostered student interest in science careers. This article focuses on how health literacy and health promotion can be taught to school students through taking part in this programme. It is a multi-disciplinary collaboration among different stakeholders—ISS tutors (researchers, information and communication experts), teachers and students. This collaborative initiative is a good example of ‘teaching and learning’ in action since all stakeholders could benefit from cross-fertilisation in an informal educational context.