November 21, 2025
Some stories don’t just inspire — they move. On 21 November 2025, ten children from Italy sat their Cambridge English examinations at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. They had studied hard, dreamed big, and travelled far. And they did it all because one teenager believed they could.
This is how the 2024-2025 edition of the New Wor(l)ds Project came to a close — not with a quiet ending, but with a flight, a handshake, and a room full of possibility.
In the picture: Giulio Sergnese, founder of the New Wor(l)ds Project
What Is the New Wor(l)ds Project?
The New Wor(l)ds Project was ideated by Giulio Sergnese, who was just 14 years old when he first envisioned it. His idea was simple in its humanity and bold in its ambition: connect teenagers with children from underserved communities, and give those children something that opens every door — the English language, for free.
Teenagers aged 14 to 18 volunteer as teachers. Children aged 8 to 13 receive full scholarships covering 10 English booster classes, teaching materials, live lessons at international schools, certification expenses, and — at the culmination of their journey — a round-trip flight to Cambridge to sit their official Cambridge English examinations at Anglia Ruskin University.
To fund all of this, Giulio turned to something deeply personal: his own writing. He asked his parents to help him publish his book, The Archive Of My Dreams, released by Rizzoli. The book has no price tag. It is given in exchange for a donation — because in Giulio’s world, generosity is the currency that makes education possible.
In the picture: The 2024-2025 kids cohort of the New Wor(l)ds Project, at Anglia Ruskin University, minutes before their Cambridge exam.
Ten Children. One Journey. A Lifetime of Opportunity.
This year, ten children completed the programme and travelled to Cambridge accompanied by their families and the Foundation’s Pedagogical Coordinator, Lucia Darian.
On 21 November 2025, the children sat their Cambridge English examinations — ranging from Pre A1 Starters through to A2 Flyers and beyond — at Anglia Ruskin University. The results are eagerly awaited, but in many ways, the certificate is only part of the story.
Before and after the exam, the Foundation — led by Chairwoman Valentina Toto — ensured the children experienced Cambridge as a place of warmth, not just of achievement. There was a dinner where the children and their teenage teachers sat together around a table, sharing pizza and laughter, many of them meeting face to face for the very first time after months of online lessons. There were activities, excursions, and moments of pure, uncomplicated joy.
In the picture: Teenage teacher Matilde and her student, Iris.
Why This Matters
Italy ranks among the lowest in Europe for English language proficiency. For children growing up in underserved communities, this gap is not just academic — it is a wall between them and the wider world. Opportunities, careers, connections, and confidence: all of these are shaped, in part, by access to language.
The mission of the Rosa Riganti Foundation is precisely to dismantle that wall. To ensure that the zip code a child is born into, or the economic circumstances of their family, does not determine whether they can participate in a globalised world. Language is access. And access is a right, not a privilege.
A Mother’s Word
Italy ranks among the lowest in Europe for English language proficiency. For children growing up in underserved communities, this gap is not just academic — it is a wall between them and the wider world. Opportunities, careers, connections, and confidence: all of these are shaped, in part, by access to language.
The mission of the Rosa Riganti Foundation is precisely to dismantle that wall. To ensure that the zip code a child is born into, or the economic circumstances of their family, does not determine whether they can participate in a globalised world. Language is access. And access is a right, not a privilege.
What Comes Next
Italy ranks among the lowest in Europe for English language proficiency. For children growing up in underserved communities, this gap is not just academic — it is a wall between them and the wider world. Opportunities, careers, connections, and confidence: all of these are shaped, in part, by access to language.
The mission of the Rosa Riganti Foundation is precisely to dismantle that wall. To ensure that the zip code a child is born into, or the economic circumstances of their family, does not determine whether they can participate in a globalised world. Language is access. And access is a right, not a privilege.
In the picture: Teenage teacher Anna and her student, Angelica.
To support the New Wor(l)ds Project and help more children access the world through language, request your copy of The Archive Of My Dreams and make your donation.
