YCM blog
Stories and insights for parents in Milan
Should my child drop extracurriculars when they enter middle school? Spoiler alert: No!
What the data says about busy kids, better grades, and success in and out of the classroom When my kids entered middle school, I started hearing the same thing from other parents: “We’re cutting the extracurriculars. The workload is just too much.” As an American expat living in Milan, with …
Robots, code, and the future of Italy
STEM skills Are No Longer Optional. The Solution Starts in Primary School. STEM subjects are a “strategic priority” for Europe’s future, but Italy is falling behind. Only 22% of university students earn a STEM degree compared to the OECD average of 26% (Source: Education at a Glance OECD), enrollment by …
How YCM began: The Story of Youth Chorus of Milan
From 12 kids to a thriving arts community in Milan. I never planned to be a choir director. Sing in choirs? Yes. Lead one? That was never on my radar. Then Giuseppe Verdi came along. Yes, you read that right. Verdi, the man, the legend, the composer, accidentally set me …
Why Music Education Matters for Kids
What kids learn through music…it’s more than singing! Why should my child study music? It’s a question every parent asks at some point. The late composer and educator Patrick Kavanaugh answered it beautifully in his book Raising Musical Kids. He identified several advantages that go far beyond learning an instrument …
