We spoke with Elena Bignardi, Principal of MILE Bilingual School, to understand how inclusion, innovation, and international collaboration shape everyday school life—and how a holistic educational vision can make a meaningful difference for students growing up in a multicultural environment.
In a city as international and forward-looking as Milan, bilingual education plays a key role in preparing young people for a global future. “Continuous teacher training and ongoing collaboration with universities and institutions are essential,” explains Bignardi, who has led MILE Bilingual School—an educational excellence in Milan—for over 20 years. Her perspective reflects the school’s broader philosophy: an approach to education that goes beyond language learning, placing inclusion, innovation, and international openness at the core of its mission.
How do you work on inclusion and innovation in a bilingual school?
Milan, a cosmopolitan city and bridge between cultures, has hosted for over two decades an educational institution that combines international ambition with local roots: MILE School. Founded in 2003, it has grown from a small bilingual preschool into a full school community that today welcomes students from nursery through middle school. MILE offers a bilingual Italian-English curriculum, recognized by the Ministry of Education and certified by Cambridge for language programmes. However, saying the school’s DNA is purely linguistic would be an understatement: MILE has long adopted a holistic approach focused on inclusion and innovation.
How Does a Bilingual School Prepare Students for a Globalized World?
“There are no magic formulas, only the daily work of our team, which strives to create a strong network of institutional relationships and constantly assess new growth opportunities for our community,” explains the principal, who last December attended the opening ceremony of the new academic year at IULM, a university and major creative hub known for linking professional training with cultural awareness in Milan’s globally connected city.
Why Are University Partnerships Important in International Education?
“It’s a strategic collaboration that will further strengthen our school’s growth path. With IULM, we are developing high-value joint initiatives, including university masterclasses for students and teachers, opportunities for our teachers to contribute academically, guided tours and activities for our students.”
Moreover, as a partner of the international ISP network, the school can not only align its programmes with the highest quality standards but also access projects that enrich students’ curricula. “Through the International Learning Opportunities for Students (ILOS) programmes,” explains the principal, “our students participate in projects, exchanges, and shared activities with peers from other countries. For example, this year we will, for the first time, participate in the ISP’s Model United Nations alongside our sister school, Leonardo da Vinci in Bergamo. These experiences broaden horizons and allow students to ‘live’ English in authentic contexts, discovering the richness of cultural diversity.”
Speaking of diversity and inclusion, another crucial topic often left only on paper: what are the challenges today, especially for a bilingual school?
“The topic of special needs, learning disorders, and gifted students is one that Italian schools have only recently begun to address, and there is still much work to be done, both in terms of staff training and support for families and students.”
For about 15 years, MILE School has dedicated resources and personnel to ensure the educational offering meets the needs of all students. In particular, a dedicated team assists both teachers and families and is coordinated by a qualified staff member, teacher Ada Middea, who serves as coordinator and central point of contact.
Regarding gifted students, what are the most challenging aspects?
“The challenge is not only to identify gifted students early but also to support them academically and emotionally. Often, giftedness is accompanied by learning disorders or social-emotional difficulties that make intervention more complex,” explains the principal.
In Italy, MILE School has been a pioneer in this area, collaborating with the Talent Lab at the University of Pavia and adopting the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), an educational approach from the U.S. designed to develop talent, creativity, and the individual potential of all students. “The SEM model requires rigorous staff training,” explains Elena Bignardi, “which in Italy is provided by SEM Italy, a specialist organization in educational training and the development of innovative teaching models, particularly in gifted education.”
How does your inclusion team work in practice?
“The team handles all students’ learning needs through personalized study plans and also provides teacher training and support to ensure that each student is fully integrated into the classroom. One of the main challenges with gifted students is limited or no interaction with peers, which can lead to social-emotional difficulties, boredom, and demotivation. It is therefore crucial that children become aware of their differences early to maintain self-esteem and understand that methods exist to help them.”
In a constantly evolving educational landscape, MILE School demonstrates that inclusion and innovation are not just slogans, but daily practices requiring vision, expertise, and a strong network of collaborations. Through strategic partnerships with universities, institutions, international organizations, and the local professional community, MILE School develops programmes that prepare students to become aware, creative, and globally minded citizens.
“This year, for example,” the principal adds, “we launched a collaboration with Assolombarda, through which our students up to middle school will gain first-hand exposure to the world of work by participating in workshops and practical activities organized by local professionals and companies. The goal is to raise awareness of opportunities offered by STEM subjects, highlighting scenarios opened up by digital technologies, while paying attention to gender biases.”
From Elena Bignardi’s words, it is clear that it is possible to build every day an educational environment where students, teachers, and families grow together. “It is in this shared vision — based on research, experimentation, and responsibility — that the mission of a contemporary bilingual school is defined: forming individuals capable of understanding complexity, collaborating across boundaries, and facing the challenges of a global future with confidence,” concludes the principal.
Article in collaboration with MILE School
