Institutional identity and educational vision
Scuola Holden is a higher education institution dedicated to storytelling in all its contemporary forms: literature, cinema, television series, journalism and communication. Founded on the belief that stories shape the way individuals and societies understand the world, Scuola Holden conceives education as a transformative experience, where learning is inseparable from personal growth, critical thinking and active participation in cultural life.
The educational approach of Scuola Holden is strongly practice-based and community-oriented. Teaching is organised primarily through laboratories rather than traditional lectures, and learning takes place within small, stable classes that function as creative communities. Students are expected to be present, engaged and involved not only during lessons, but also in the wider life of Scuola Holden: collaborative projects, extracurricular workshops, conferences, public events and self-initiated creative activities are all integral parts of the learning process.
The educational model of Scuola Holden is grounded in continuity, cohesion and long-term group dynamics. Preserving the unity of the study path is essential to ensure the quality of the learning experience, the development of shared projects and the full maturation of students’ creative and professional skills. For this reason, the Bachelor programmes offered by Scuola Holden are conceived as organic, highly integrated three-year paths, in which each phase prepares and enables the next one.
European values, citizenship and international openness
Scuola Holden strongly identifies with the core values of the Erasmus+ Programme and with the broader objective of building a European Education Area based on cooperation, cultural exchange and shared responsibility. As a school of writing and narration, Holden places particular emphasis on dialogue between perspectives, diversity of voices and the circulation of ideas across borders.
Scuola Holden believes that culture, creativity and storytelling play a fundamental role in strengthening European citizenship, fostering mutual understanding and promoting democratic values. Through its teaching activities, public events and community engagement, Scuola Holden encourages students to develop critical awareness, social responsibility and openness towards complexity and difference.
Internationalisation is therefore not understood as a purely academic objective, but as an essential dimension of personal and professional development. Engaging with other cultural and professional contexts allows emerging writers and storytellers to question their assumptions, refine their voice and situate their work within a broader European framework.
Strategic choice: focus on Erasmus+ traineeships for graduates
Within this vision, Scuola Holden has chosen to participate in Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (KA131) by focusing exclusively on traineeships for graduates. This strategic choice reflects the specific nature of the Holden educational model, which places a strong emphasis on the development of practical and professional skills rather than purely theoretical knowledge.
From its foundation, Scuola Holden has conceived storytelling as an artisanal practice – one that requires continuous refinement through daily exercise and real-world application. In this perspective, graduate traineeships represent an effective continuation of Scuola Holden’s educational approach beyond the completion of the three-year curriculum, allowing learning to evolve into professional practice.
Moreover, given that the Bachelor programmes require continuous presence and long-term group cohesion, international traineeships after graduation represent the most effective and coherent way to integrate European mobility into Scuola Holden’s educational ecosystem.
Graduate traineeships allow former students to enter international professional environments once their core training has been completed. In this phase, mobility becomes a space for genuine exchange, professional growth and application of competences, rather than a temporary interruption of an ongoing learning process.
Professional orientation and structured support
Scuola Holden has a strong tradition of supporting graduates in their transition from education to the professional world. This support is conceived as a relational and mentoring process rather than simple job placement. Dedicated staff accompany graduates by listening to their needs, helping them clarify their goals, and guiding them towards opportunities that are coherent with their skills and aspirations.
Erasmus+ traineeships for graduates are fully integrated into this approach. Scuola Holden supports participants before, during and after mobility, offering mentoring, practical assistance and continuous dialogue. Particular attention is paid to the quality and educational value of traineeships, ensuring that learning outcomes, professional development and personal growth remain central.
Inclusion, sustainability and expected impact
Scuola Holden is committed to ensuring transparency, non-discrimination and inclusion in all Erasmus+ activities. Equal access to opportunities is a core principle of the institution, and particular attention is given to graduates with fewer opportunities through personalised guidance, mentoring and practical support throughout the mobility process.
The Erasmus+ traineeship programme for graduates is expected to generate a strong and lasting impact at multiple levels.
For participants, international traineeships will enhance employability and professional autonomy in the creative and cultural sectors, strengthen transversal skills such as adaptability, intercultural communication and collaborative work, and foster a clearer professional identity and greater awareness of career opportunities at European level.
For Scuola Holden, the programme will reinforce its international dimension while remaining fully coherent with its educational model, strengthen long-term partnerships with European organisations in the creative industries, and enrich teaching practices through the return of graduates with new skills, perspectives and professional experiences.
At a broader level, the programme contributes to the development of a connected European creative ecosystem, encouraging the circulation of ideas, practices and talents across borders. By supporting graduates at the moment of transition from education to professional life, Scuola Holden aims to promote sustainable mobility, long-term cooperation and active European citizenship within the cultural and creative sectors.
The impact of the programme is conceived as cumulative and sustainable over time, as each mobility experience contributes to reinforcing networks, shared practices and a common European cultural space rooted in dialogue, diversity and cooperation.