Literature and critical thinking: Andrea Cirino brings his novel to the classrooms of Agrigento schools

Three minutes can be enough to change perspective, to question the present, or to spark a dialogue between generations. This is the spirit that drives "Three Minutes", the cultural project based on the eponymous novel by Andrea Cirino, which is making its way through the schools of the province of Agrigento with a growing success in participation and content.

The discussion at the University Pole

Yesterday, March 20, marked a fundamental milestone in this journey. In the setting of the Aula Magna of the Consortium University of Agrigento, students from the "Empedocle" Classical and Musical High School were the protagonists of a heated and profound debate. Not a simple editorial presentation, but a workshop of critical thinking sponsored by the Provveditorato agli Studi.

"We experienced an extraordinary moment of confrontation," said the author Andrea Cirino with satisfaction, thanking the school principal Marika Helga Gatto and teachers Angelo Agrò and Valentina Piscopo for their sensitivity in opening the school doors to such current themes.

Voices in comparison: between spirituality and civic engagement

The contributions of the speakers made the meeting an immersive experience for the young high school students. Don Giuseppe Pontillo, Salvatore Pezzino, and Giovanni Volpe intertwined the threads of the novel with reflections on ethics, faith, and social responsibility, encouraging the students to interpret the present through the power of storytelling. The dialogue demonstrated how literature can still be the key to breaking down indifference and putting the value of words back at the center.

The calendar: the next stops in the province

The project does not stop here. The awareness "tour" will continue, reaching the main centers of the Agrigento area, involving hundreds of students: March 31 appointment with the "Nicolò Gallo" Institute of Agrigento; April 8 marathon of meetings with various institutes in Canicattì; followed by stops at the "M.L. King" Institute of Favara and at the "G.B. Odierna" of Palma di Montechiaro.

Towards the grand finale in May

The journey will culminate in the month of May with a final award ceremony. It will be the concluding moment of an initiative that has managed to strengthen the bond between school and territory, demonstrating that when institutions collaborate, young people respond with enthusiasm, ready to become critical readers and aware citizens.