(ANS – Mountain View) – A delegation of six representatives from the Steering Committee of the Italian Salesian project ‘GO Beyond Traditional Education / Gemini@Salesians’, is in Mountain View, California, at Google’s headquarters, to discuss the responsible integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. The visit aims to strengthen the existing collaboration and present the expanding vision of this project, which puts the dignity and integral development of the human person at the centre of innovation.
The ‘GO Beyond Traditional Education’ project started in 2025 and rapidly evolved from a regional pilot experiment into a national movement. Initially involving a pilot group of 750 teachers in 26 institutes in the Province of North East Italy (INE), it has now broadened its horizons to involve up to 1,600 educators in over 50 Salesian schools and Vocational Training Centres (CFP) throughout Italy, reaching more than 25,000 young people.
The most innovative elements, documented by the research conducted in collaboration with the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) and the Salesian University Institute of Venice (IUSVE), concern the profound pedagogical transformation that generative AI (Gemini) is triggering.
The initial results (which are still being thoroughly monitored) of the research show an extraordinary impact:
Significant Time Savings: Teachers reported an estimated subjective saving of about 37% on teaching activities. This precious time is freed up and can be reinvested in the listening, presence and personal accompaniment of young people, strengthening the educational relationship, the heart of the Salesian model. Teaching Innovation: More than 550 teaching activities and about 100 productivity activities have been developed and documented, focusing on areas such as teaching design, content generation and personalisation of learning, including for students with special needs. Role of the Teacher: far from being a substitute, AI acts as a powerful ‘CO-PILOT’ for the teacher, facilitating the customisation of pathways and stimulating teaching creativity.
The project is supported by an integrated ecosystem that includes ‘Google for Education’ (with the Gemini platform), ‘MR Digital’ (for technical and training support), the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) and the IUSVE (for pedagogical research and the ethical and values framework).
The programme of the visit to California included key moments to get to know each other, consolidate collaboration, and discuss collaborative efforts to integrate AI in education directly with Google leaders.
In particular, the programme included a visit to the Tech Park/Demo Center on Tuesday 2 December, and a campus-tour in Mountain View, with a stop at the Google Store. Another crucial day was Wednesday 3 December, which took place in San Francisco: after a campus-tour in the morning, two summit meetings took place: a leaders’ meeting and a one-to-one meeting (1:1 Meeting).
In preparation for the one-to-one meeting, the National Coordinator of the ‘GO Beyond Traditional Education’ project, Fr Elio Cesari, sent a letter proposing an expanded vision which envisages an increase of Gemini licences in Italy (almost 2,000 teachers in 2026) and possible international expansion to schools in other countries that have expressed a strong interest in participating in the project.
To support this ambitious phase and establish an ethical and effective model for AI in global education, three specific requests were made for discussion at the meeting:
Financial support for the continuation of the university research phase, which is essential to maintain the evidence-based educational model. Resources to significantly increase the scale and quality of teacher training activities, especially in view of the project’s expansion into new countries. Support for the creation of sharing opportunities with Salesian network schools in other countries. The Salesian mission of offering young people the cutting edge of technology, while keeping the integral dignity of the person at the centre, finds in this visit to Google the possibility of shaping the future of education with Artificial Intelligence on a global scale.
Source: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”