Milan Cortina 2026 is aligned to Italy's paths for transversal skills and orientation programme which aims to help students learn about organising international sporting events.

Students from the Institute of Higher Education Via Carlos Emery 97 are due to play an active role in the running of the CSIO Rome equestrian event scheduled to take place from today until Sunday (May 28).

"No one tells the story of equestrianism better than Rome and Piazza di Siena and in the year preceding the Paris 2024 Games we arrive at its ninetieth edition," said Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation and Italian National Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malagò on the Education Gen26 Programme's latest success.

"In this context of international importance male and female students will have the opportunity to acquire new skills through direct experience in the field.

"Sport is a sector where there are many professional opportunities that are emerging and require preparation, ability and enthusiasm.

"I am particularly proud that all this passes through Milano Cortina 2026."

The nationwide project is set to be developed over the next three school years.

It will provide a modular training course with an initial theoretical element on the Olympics and Paralympics before a second practical session that aims for participants to apply their skills into the organisational and operational aspects of events. 

"We are delighted to be the first Federation to have signed this important agreement with the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation," said Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports President Marco Di Paola.

"We believe that young enthusiasts are the best future professionals for the sports sector.

"For several years we have been offering young people the opportunity to participate in the CSIO in Rome Piazza di Siena - Master D'Inzeo in our team of volunteers and today, thanks to this collaboration, a group of students from the Calamandrei Institute in Rome will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the organisation of the 2023 edition of the event in eleven areas of competence.

"We are happy that this project, aimed at involving schools in the organisation of sporting events in view of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, is starting right on the occasion of Piazza di Siena."

Another part of the programme saw students from the Gandhi Higher Education Institute and Luigi Valli secondary school met with Beijing 2008 gold medal-winning boxer Roberto Cammarelle.