“On the occasion of Leonardo 4 Children competition, I wish young composers to bravely face the challenge, recommending them to use the appropriate rigour and serious tireless study that can ensure the quality of their composition.”

“I welcome the initiative Leonardo 4 Children and I am pleased that the European Parliament has decided to give its patronage to the workshop on climate action and gender equality planned on 1 October 2021. I encourage all children and young people to take part in the initiative and use art and science skills to provide their ideas in order to solve these fundamental issues and become responsible and empowered European leaders of the future.”

“In this global pandemic, children and young people are among those who are suffering the most, especially the weakest and those who had fewer opportunities beforehand. The educational, relational and emotional damages will be enormous and will require extra efforts to be compensated and recovered. Culture produces care, bridges, passion, good and beauty, in a personal and collective dimension. The Leonardo 4 Children initiative has the advantage of stimulating schools and people committed to the education of our children to generate from them creativity, vision and enthusiasm, to positively contaminate everyone in the #rEUnaissance of the 21st century.”

“Working on my fable was very exciting. I learned how to turn big ideas into a story and a picture. I thought a lot about peace and how to make the world better. It was cool to imagine rockets becoming spaceships and helping people. I liked thinking about this story and talking with my dad. We shared many ideas about the war and how to make the world better. I’m happy that people liked my idea, and I want to keep drawing and inventing things for good.”

“The Leonardo 4 Children competition brought me a unique opportunity to combine creativity, science, and impact in society. It challenged me to think like Leonardo da Vinci, merging art and innovation, while using my artistic skills to raise awareness on important global issues. Through this experience, I developed my artistic and critical thinking skills, gained confidence in expressing my ideas, and contributed to a meaningful cause aimed at helping society as a whole.”

“Creating the project “Like” showed me that when people try to solve a problem, most of us only concentrate on the solution that is easy to create and is benefiting us, forgetting that for others it might be hurtful or just unfair. And even though it is hard to find a solution that would be fair to everyone, it is very important to try our best to find it. And I think that this lesson was very valuable for me, as now, everytime I try to find a solution, I always remember to think about everyone, not just myself or my friends and family.”

I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart, also on behalf of the Punto Luce team in Prato, for the wonderful day at the Summer School in Florence. The boys and girls came away truly enthusiastic about the experience and the wonderful welcome they received. The entire organization was extremely welcoming, helpful, and attentive to the group. Thanks again to the entire team for the care, passion, and professionalism with which you made this experience so special.

“Our work “The checkers with the chess” (“La dama con gli scacchi”) is an original creation made by my students integrating art and poetry on the issue of climate change and environmental sustainability. This experience made my children think about problems resulting from pollution, leading them to try to look for possible solutions. This work gave them the possibility to work in groups without feeling embarrassed to share their thoughts and it was an occasion for them to give vent to their creativity, originality and imagination.”