The Common Interdisciplinary Itineraries of the Italian University Museums Network. A Challenge for sharing Scientific Education

The network of the Italian University Museums, constituted in 2012 among 37 museums, 36 collections and 7 botanical gardens through an agreement program approved and financed by the Ministry of the University and Research, is working to realize this year four interdisciplinary itineraries about four common themes: stories, history of the scientific instruments, landscape, environment (www.pomui.unimore.it). A still in progress bilingual web portal, stopping the discontinuity and the variety of their current presence on the web, will promote a connection between different kind of audience as well as students of different levels of schools, including University students. In particular, a second project, presented by the enlarged network among 47 museums, 39 collections and 12 botanical gardens, approved and financed this year by the same Ministry will offer to the Italian University Museums network the possibility to become a privileged seat for the realization of educational paths for lifelong guidance toward the scientific culture and method, which is common to all the scientific disciplines, thanks to the cultural heritage and to the competences existing in the University Museums. These educational guiding paths are addressed to the last two classes of the secondary schools, in coordination with the School Offices, the school directors, and with the Guidance Offices of each participating University: the educational guiding paths will involve not only students but also their families.