The Istituto Comprensivo “G. Lombardo Radice” in Siracusa, is situated in the new part of the town, in an area full of offices, business enterprises and the services sector. Nowadays the institute has got 39 classes and a total amount of 922 students, and 10 % is from foreign origin. 107 people work there. The social economic background of the most of the students is quite good and the cultural level of their families has been progressively improving. Of course there are also some families who suffer some economic or personal troubles and their problems are unfortunately visible on their children’s behaviour at school. In fact they show a low learning motivation and sometimes have relation problems.

The people involved are different and with different role and tasks: the headmaster , the language department, the school doctor, P.E. teachers, the Commission and the manager of the school canteen, pupils' parents ( who are medical experts in nutrition and motor development)cultural mediator, sports and leisure clubs.

For years, in our schools, we follow some programs of health education,

engaging students, families and teachers. The teachers have attended training courses for the propagation of a healthy diet: we want to make a comparison between the food traditions of various European regions, but which have in common the problem of young people who eat badly and with poor eating habits .The sustainable food is an emerging concept. Through communication and debate, it aims to raise awareness of the negative effects and it proposes some alternatives. Food " from farm to table", coming from a specific production area, offer more assurance of freshness and authenticity because of the absence, or almost, of transport and transit. In addition, with this choice of consumption, we improve local production and we get the link with its own origins, while extolling the typical tastes and flavors, culinary traditions and local products. In addition, we must reflect on the culinary traditions, to deepen the themes of intercultural through food. Cooking becomes, especially in a time of heavy migration, the primary means by which we come into contact with the culture of others, we can say that food is a tool of first contact between host culture and culture of origin and one of the most used to learn about other cultures and to mix civilizations, to try the path of interculturalism . For these reasons, where there are pupils of foreign origin, this partnership will give us the opportunity to improve their integration with the direct participation of parents in the project.

Through the presentation and production of typical food of the country, we can compare the characteristic nutritional principles of different foods. Discussions and reflections that follow, will strengthen the bonds of solidarity.

School has taken part in 7 Comenius and Erasmus projects concerning different topics.