Locanda dei Girasoli is a restaurant in Rome's Quadraro district where 11 youths with chromosomal disabilities, including Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and Fragile X syndrome, serve as waiters. The assistant chef, Emanuele Raffaelli, also has Down syndrome and is a trained cook continuing his education at the Academy of High Cuisine. The restaurant, established in 1999 by families seeking to secure a future for their children, faced financial crisis in 2012 but was saved by Consorzio Sintesi's investment of 400,000 euros. Despite its non-central location and lack of public funding, which the project proudly refuses, the restaurant manages to stay afloat. President Enzo Rimicci emphasizes the importance of self-reliance as an educational example and invites people to visit and support the establishment.

Two third-grade classes at the Giuseppe Lombardo Radice primary school in Lucca are trying an unconventional approach to mathematics using a textbook adopted in Finnish schools. Teacher Patrizia Piccinini says the books encourage a more natural, engaging way of learning rather than treating children as empty vessels. The experiment also prompted pupils to engage with Finnish, which Piccinini says strengthened their memory skills and improved their English performance.