Fostering social change through Education
Palazzo Strozzi, Florence lItaly
Gabinetto Vieusseux, Sala Ferri – ground floor
Friday, February 20, 2026
9:00 – 13:15 / 14.45 – 17.30
The conference is held under the auspices of Florence World Heritage and Relations with UNESCO – Municipality of Florence, Italy
Venue and date
• Conference date: Friday, February 20th, 2026.
• Morning session: Palazzo Strozzi (Gabinetto Vieusseux, Sala Ferri – ground floor), 9:00 AM – 1:15 PM.
• Afternoon session: Palazzo Strozzi (Gabinetto Vieusseux, Sala Ferri – ground floor), 2:45
– 5:30 PM.
Schedule
9:00 Welcome Remarks:
Dr. Carlotta Ferrari
General Manager, Fondazione Destination Florence – Italy
Dr. Valentina Ippolito
Florence World Heritage and Relations with UNESCO Office – Municipality of Florence – Italy
Professor Stefano U. Baldassarri, Ph.D.
Director, ISI Florence – Italy
9:15 Dr. Athena Kritikou
Founder & President, SKEP – Association of Social Responsibility for Children and Youth – Greece “When Education Opens Minds, Inclusion Follows”
9:45 Professor Emerita Frosso Motti-Stefanidi Ph.D.
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens – Department of Psychology – Greece “Building an Inclusive Mindset Through Education”
10:15 Dr. Spyros Kogkas
Co-founder & CEO Imagine Heritage Non-Profit – Greece “Learning Together: Inclusive Education as the Soul of Europe’s Cultural Democracy”
10:45 – 11:15: Coffee break
11:15 Professor Valia Aranitou Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Scientific Director at Prorata Public Opinion Research – Greece “Tracing Attitudes, Perceptions and Behavior towards Disability”
11:45 Dr. Zoi Geroulanou
President of the Center “Greek Guide Dogs” – Greece “Notes on a Guide Dog’s Contibution to the Life of a Blind Handler”
12:15 Dr. Dimitra Kontova
SKEP’s Inclusion & Accessibility Consultant – Motivational Speaker – Dimitra lives with a mobility disability – Greece ”Breaking Stereotypes Through Education”
12:45 Dr. Annalisa Baroni – Dr Marilena Pinco – Dr Eleonora Sirsi
Municipality of Florence. Education – Childhood Services – Italy “All In. From Welcome Day to In-Class Participation: Inclusive Programs in Florence’s Nursery Schools and Preschools”
1:15 – 2:45 PM Lunch break
3:00 Dr. Daria Coste
Dynamo Camp – Italy “Dynamo Camp – Right to Happiness: Where the True Healing Comes from Laughter and Medicine Is Joy”
3:30 Dr. Ashod Derandonyan
CEO of the European branch of the US based Deaf Leaders of Tomorrow Foundation (DLTF) – Bulgaria “Beyond Inclusion: The Power of Deaf-Centric Education in Shaping an Inclusive World”
4:00 Professor Maria Bukhanovskaia
Special Education Teacher, Specialist in AAC & Early intervention, co-founder & CEO of “Patchwork”, Civil Society Organization, Krakow – Poland. “When Disability meets Refugee Experience: Rethinking Inclusion in Education through an Intersectional Lens”
4:30 Dr. Filippos Pierros
Former Member of the European Parliament – Former EU Deputy Permanent Representative to the OECD – France “Education for Inclusive Societies: Lessons from International Organisations”
5:00 Dr. Katie Ciulla
ISI Florence/Tulane University – Italy/US Dr. Serena Giorgi – Dr. Nina Peci ISI Florence – Italy “Florence Through New Eyes: Stories from an Inclusive Center”.
