The School of “O”

It always starts with the name. How do you name a place dedicated to the youngest children and their families, an open and inclusive educational space? From the very beginning, we chose to call it a “school.” We intentionally avoided the term “baby parking,” which more correctly defines the activity, but in its Italian translation (parcheggio per bambini) conveys the opposite of what we want for our community: a welcoming space, a place to inhabit and grow, a home for everyone, open even beyond activity hours, managed in collaboration with families.

But which school? We thought of the “O” of Ostana, the vowel that opens and closes the name of the village that adopted us, to which we feel we belong. But also “O” as a character, female or male, human, animal, or plant, a drawing to complete, an identity (individual and collective) to build together. And finally, but not least, “O” as Ohh: an expression of wonder, the engine of all things. So: Ostana, imagining together who we will be, without losing the sense of wonder. This is where we start.

The School of “O” was born in July 2022, exactly 50 years after the closure of the Ostana school, as a need expressed by young families, and it became the heart of the village, believing in the youngest and their parents as the main protagonists of the ongoing regeneration process. This coincidence celebrates Ostana’s second life, the result of the vision, strength, and dedication of a small, resilient community.

Viso A Viso and the Municipality of Ostana officially announced in October 2022 the opening of the School of “O” for children aged 1 to 3, a project strongly desired by the Community Cooperative and the local administration, which, in this as in other occasions, work together to promote the activation of services for the valley community, both current and future. From 2023, the school introduced a musical education program led by Celeste Veglia and subsequently by APM Saluzzo, as well as a theatrical expression and reading program organized by BAO, the Open Library of Ostana. From 2023, the School of “O” for children aged 12 months to 12 years also opened in June, July, and August, offering families in the valley a complete and unprecedented educational program.

The entire process has given rise to a participatory, joyful, and inclusive educational community that promotes the social and cultural well-being of the youngest, a true positive outcome beyond the activation of educational services. The harmonious combination of high-quality cultural programs, the extraordinary natural beauty of the valley and the Monviso Park, and the presence of a lively educational community is the distinctive feature of the School of “O.” It is an alpine welfare hub testing a new type of school, challenging some prejudices associated with mountain life.

The mountain is not for young people. In the mountains, children have nothing to do. Those who live in high valleys must necessarily descend to the plains to access valuable cultural offerings. You cannot have everything. You have to choose between culture and environmental quality.

The School of “O” is an educational and cultural infrastructure that, together with the post office, the bakery, the medical center, the Lou Pourtoun civic and cultural center with coworking spaces and the library, along with local productive activities, demonstrates a possibility: living in the highlands is no longer an experience only for pioneers, but for anyone who shares certain essential values. The new habitability of the Alps starts with the essentials, first and foremost with the school, with families.

Families of every kind and from every background.

All information here.