Serendipity Summer School: Disability, Education and Society
Para quién es
Despite its global significance, disability studies continue to develop predominantly within national contexts. Educational systems differ. Legal frameworks differ. Cultural understandings of disability differ. Even the meaning of inclusion changes across societies. At a time when universities are becoming increasingly international and when students, educators, researchers, and professionals routinely move across borders, understanding disability exclusively through local perspectives is no longer sufficient. The need is no longer simply for inclusion. The need is for international understanding. The Serendipity Summer School on Disability Studies was established in response to this challenge. Conceived as a permanent international academic initiative, the School brings together scholars, educators, practitioners, institutions, policymakers, advocates, families, and people with lived experience to investigate disability through comparative, interdisciplinary, and international perspectives.
Professor Carrie D. Wysocki invites contributions to the 2027 edition.
Tu semana, día a día
June 18Welcome to MantuaArrival & Check-in: Arrival in Mantua, accommodation check-in, registration and badge collection. Closest airport: Verona Villafranca Airport, approximately 30 minutes from Mantua.Afternoon, Mantua Networking Tour: Discover Mantua, a UNESCO Renaissance city, with the Unicollege campus in its historic center.Evening, Welcome Networking Dinner: Meet the international community behind the week before the academic program begins.
June 19Reggio Emilia, Education as ExperienceBreakfastMorning, Opening Lecture: International Education and Global Perspectives on Disability, with the founders of the Serendipity Summer School.Day Experience, Reggio Emilia: Experiential visit with expert-led sessions on the Reggio Emilia approach to disability and inclusion, including guided site visits and method demonstrations.Light Lunch: Hosted by Unicollege.Evening: Free dinner; participants arrange dinner independently.
June 20The Montessori MiracleBreakfastMorning and Afternoon: A day dedicated to Maria Montessori and her enduring contribution to autonomy, inclusion, human potential and learner-centered education.Networking Buffet Lunch: Hosted by Unicollege.Evening: Free dinner; participants arrange dinner independently.
June 21–22The World Comes to MantuaBreakfast9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, International Lecture Series (part I): Selected speakers from around the world, joining both in person and online, bring comparative perspectives on disability and education across different countries and cultures.12:30 to 2:00 PM, Networking Buffet Lunch: Hosted by Unicollege.2:00 to 5:30 PM, International Lecture Series (part II): Selected speakers from around the world, joining both in person and online, bring comparative perspectives on disability and education across different countries and cultures. The final speaker and session schedule will be published by mid-March 2027.Education, Inclusion & Transition: Inclusive schooling, higher education, family partnerships and transitions.Rights, Policy & Global Perspectives: Law, human rights, mobility, policy and comparative approaches.Identity, Culture & Human Experience: Identity, language, representation, relationships, spirituality and the arts.Technology, AI & Accessibility: AI, emerging technologies, ethics, accessibility and innovation.Work, Entrepreneurship & Community Participation: Employment, entrepreneurship, independent living and belonging.Neurodiversity, Health & Lived Experience: Neurodiversity, invisible disabilities, caregivers, resilience and lived experience.
June 23Venice, The Final ClassroomMorning, Travel to Venice: Departure from Mantua for a full day educational visit to Venice.Light Lunch: Hosted in Venice.Evening, Farewell International Networking Dinner: A closing celebration for the full international community, marking the end of the academic program.
June 24DepartureCheck-out and independent departure arrangements.
Incluido en el precio
Incluido en el precio
The program includes accommodation in Mantua, the full academic program, scheduled breakfasts and networking lunches, academic and networking activities, the Reggio Emilia educational experience, the Venice educational experience, English-language assistance, access to Unicollege facilities and a Certificate of Completion.
For Erasmus+ participants, a different mechanism applies. The Erasmus+ grant is calculated according to the applicable mobility rules, including the destination and the number of funded mobility days. The full amount of the Erasmus+ grant generated for the participant will be allocated to Unicollege toward participation in the program. Example: if, based on the destination and duration of the mobility, a participant is awarded an Erasmus+ grant of €1.200, the entire €1.200 will be allocated to Unicollege for the program.
Online Conference, €250. For attendees who wish to participate online from anywhere in the world. Remote access to lectures, panels, seminars and online academic content on June 21–22. No accommodation, meals or field experiences are included.
Academic Credit Option, +€350. Undergraduate and graduate students may optionally request an official transcript for academic credit. This option is entirely voluntary and is not required to participate in the program.
Registration Procedure. Registration itself is free of charge. Following submission of a registration request, Unicollege will contact each applicant individually to confirm the participant profile (student, faculty member, panelist, or attendee) and the applicable funding arrangement (personal funding, Erasmus+, or faculty-led participation). Upon confirmation, a €200 registration deposit becomes payable. The deposit will be retained until 28 February 2027 and refunded in full should the program be cancelled. If the program is confirmed, the outstanding balance must be paid to Unicollege by 14 March 2027. Registrations may be cancelled without charge until 28 February 2027. After that date, should the on-campus edition not take place, participation may be transferred to the online format or any fees already paid will be refunded.
Opportunities for fully funded participation
Erasmus+ Eligible students and faculty may have participation and mobility fully covered by Erasmus+ funding.
US & Canadian Faculty Staff and faculty who bring 6 students as part of a faculty-led program have their program fee waived (travel excluded).
Other Participants Unicollege can provide official invitation and participation letters to support scholarship, grant and funding applications.
Tu formador/a
Carrie D. Wysocki · Giosuè Prezioso
Hosted annually by Unicollege, an Italian accredited university with campuses in Florence, Mantua, and Turin and an expanding network of global academic partnerships, the School was founded through the collaboration between Professor Dr. Carrie Wysocki (University of Findlay, USA) and Professor Dr. Giosuè Prezioso, Dean of Academic Affairs at Unicollege.