team

Graduated from Modena University in business economics, Pietro has been working for 16 years in Emilia Romagna in the field of business development and access to finance. During the “Modena period”, when he was 30, he lived a small 6 months parenthesis in London attending an English course and working at the same time. In 2012, feeling inside the deep sense of belonging to the South and understanding that the family needed him, he decided to come back to Soverato (CZ) aware that, with the competencies and experience gained, he could have been an active player at the local level. At the end of the same year, he founded JUMP Gioventù in riSalto and started to train himself in the field of Project Design and Management, applying for grants and monitoring EU funding programs, upgrading himself, and networking. He attended a 5 months high-level master’s in Rome and a specific course in Cosenza. In 2013 – 2014 JUMP was soon awarded the first EU projects and it started a period of intensive activities, training, and mobilities in Italy and abroad. Now is still JUMP President and engine, organizing events, training, and being also a private consultant for potential young entrepreneurs.

2002-2003 One year Erasmus studies in Càceres, Spain including a working experience in Barcelona. 2005. Graduated in foreign languages and international communication at Parma University, Erika started soon to work in the field of international youth mobility and European projects in Rome during the civil service by AFSAI, Associazione per la Formazione e gli Scambi Culturali (2003-2004). Through AFSAI Erika travelled around Europe (as Team Leader for young people and young adults) and also in Latin America (Costa Rica) as responsible for an important project on violence against women and gender balance in Eu society. 

One of the main important working experiences for her has been afterwards, from 2005, by the FNG Forum Nazionale Giovani (The National Youth Council), for 3 years as an international officer, project designer, and trainer. She could approach how it works as an important institution depending directly on the Government being involved in international European events, training and long term processes of cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world. Erika was uncharged to write EU projects and meetings also with Africa and Latin America. In 2008 Erika founded, with a close group of colleagues, AIM Agency for Interculture and Mobility in Rome which in 2009 was awarded a long-term contract by the Italian Representation of the European Commission in Italy. In 2010 Erika started to work inside the secretary’s office of the Spazio Europa, the European Public Space of the European Commission in Rome. From 2010 to 2014 worked at different levels organizing training, as a trainer herself, implementing EU granted projects, always creating new synergies and ideas to apply for the call for proposals. 

In 2014 she met Pietro Curatola in Rome and for love, she left the “eternal capital” moving to Soverato (CZ) with the same aim of being an active player at the local level and bringing social innovation thanks to her experience at the European level. She coordinates JUMP with Pietro and the staff and implements projects, training, events, and educational activities for youth, teachers, and the whole community.

Since 2015 trainer and didactic responsible for all JUMP training (Erasmus Plus catalogue) coordinating experts and trainers on the different topics. Thanks to the meeting with Pietro Curatola, Erika could also experience another kind of project, more complex and structured, with direct and indirect funds. Referring to Project Design and Management Erika coordinated a long-term project K2020 (VET sector) titled “SO-VET: social entrepreneurship as an alternative for unemployed youth” contributing to the creation of important intellectual outputs and training young NEETs of Calabria in gaining entrepreneurial competences.

Thanks to successful project design and teamwork, Erika is involved in many projects, as coordinator, or trainer, or content creator.

Graduated at Modena University in “Languages for Enterprise Communication and International Organizations” in 2017. She has a great passion for intercultural contexts and international exchanges. During her academic career, thanks to the Erasmus Project, she had the opportunity to spend six months in Zaragoza (Spain) developing social and intercultural skills. She started to work as a translator for a European Translation Center in Modena (2017) and then she decided to come back to Calabria to work for a Tour Operator company in Soverato, developing communication and managerial skills.

In 2018, she participated in the National Civil Service project, working as a volunteer for the Employment Office in Soverato. During this period, she worked as a teacher for a Language School in Catanzaro. She currently works with JUMP in the field of Erasmus Plus, as a Project Manager, Social Media Manager and Administrative Staff. She also collaborates as trainer for Experience Italy, Outdoor Learning and Outdoor Education courses.

She’s very open-minded person, always ready for new challenges and adventures!

Alessia is a passionate and experienced learning leader and innovator, with more than ten years of experience designing and leading local and international activities in the field of Education and Training.  Graduated in Communication Science at Sapienza University of Rome, for her final thesis Alessia conducted a field study in Brazil during her civil service year, working in an international cooperation project and analyzing the effectiveness of empowering adult learning methodologies applied to local trainings, community capacity building, social entrepreneurship and solidarity cooperation networks.

After other studying and working experiences abroad, in 2012 she started collaborating with AIM – Agency for Interculture and Mobility in Rome, working on local and EU projects in the field of Education and Training, applying non formal education methodology and innovation processes with schools, associations and other kind of organizations.With AIM she also worked as facilitator and trainer at Spazio Europa, the European Public Space co-managed by the Italian Representation of the European Commission and the Communication office for the European Parliament in Rome. This role has been enriched with other tasks:  organization of teacher training, organization of events and training for young people and other key stakeholders in the field of the European dimension of Education, networking meetings focused on EU policies, programs and funds.

In a parallel direction, Alessia enjoyed several courses and Masters becoming certified as Professional Counselor and expert in coaching, mentoring, innovative and creative learning methodologies, personal development, effective and non violent communication, mindfulness and well-being, conscious education, creative use of storytelling and digital tools in the classroom. Another key experience in Alessia’s career is “MEET”: Association – Movies for European Education and Training – since 2014 she has been organizing MEET Film Festivals in different European Countries, a meeting place for all european and world audiovisual productions focused on education, training, youth and EU cooperation projects; and in 2017 the first edition of AgriCulture Film festival, focused on the links between culture, agriculture, biodiversity and education and training experiences in these fields.

For JUMP Alessia is a freelance trainer expert in the topic of “Coaching and mentoring”, Emotional competences and wellbeing, mindfulness, conscious education and media literacy.  Alessia still lives in Rome and to collaborate with JUMP she travels to Soverato (CZ) when trainings are fixed and organized.

Catherine Perri,  an Australian native with Italian heritage, left a promising career with the Australian Tax Department and moved to Italy in 1986. She married  soon after and started a family. Catherine was fortunate enough to be able to take time away from work to raise her three wonderful children. Once they were in school, she quickly resumed her professional path and specialized in teaching. She is a natural teacher and it shows. She is kind, caring, precise and encouraging. She has taught in many European Union projects and regular courses in local schools.

She has years of experience in exam preparation and is also a certified English language examiner. She excelled quickly while teaching in both private and public schools in Italy as well as teaching online. She has extensive experience teaching both undergraduates and graduate level university courses at Calabria University (UNICAL) and Dante Alighieri University. She absolutely enjoys challenges and deep diving into new projects and life experiences. She is resourceful, exuberant and energetic. Students old and new are captivated by her enthusiasm and support.

She currently employs her skills in many areas. She collaborates with national and international government bodies performing tasks ranging from translations, interpreter services, transcription services, and cultural preparation. 

She is an educational coach and guides students through the educational process. She is a motivated speaker and a professional teacher’s coach . She helps other teachers get up to speed on new procedures and best practices. She delights in the success of others.

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Catherine’s keen eye for detail helps her when editing academic and scientific papers. 

Her stunning personality shines when she is giving courses on CLIL, Coaching and Mentoring, Presentation skills, Business English, Motivational speaking or Academic English. She works with proven methods and injects professionalism in everything she does. In fact, her teaching philosophy is that every successful lesson should be interactive, communicative, educational and fun.

Roberta was born in Marsala, Sicily. After studying Foreign Languages at the University of Pisa, she decided to gain experience abroad with her husband to be. Travelling from Italy to the United States, from there to Switzerland, and later to England; she finally settled in London for five years. It was there, working as a manager and trainer in a multicultural, dynamic, and stimulating environment, that she realised that her passion was teaching. 

​After getting the Cert TESOL Level 5 Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TEFL), she went back to Italy and started a new life in Soverato. Now a wife and mother of a two-year-old son. Graduated in Foreign Languages and Cultures, Roberta has been teaching English privately as a professional English teacher.  She provides English courses for adults, teenagers, and children. She also collaborates with a local bookshop helping school-age children with the English, Spanish and French languages. Always ready to learn, she puts into practice all of the knowledge she has acquired thus far in her career. Her approach to teaching is based on learning through communication, with a natural approach, involving students in the discovery learning process. 

“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand” Benjamin Franklin

Graduated at Catanzaro’s UMG school of Veterinary Medicine. Specialized in Applied Ethology and animal welfare at the university of Naples Fedirico II. Nominated Expert in Behavioural medicine by FNOVI (Italian Federetion Orders of Veterinary Medicine). Master in life coaching and positive psychology certification at Transformation Academy. Graduated Expert in mindfulness meditation protocols for family, schools, company and therapy at IEPP (European Institute of Positive Psychology). Art Therapy practitioner. Currently studying to graduate in clinical psychology with strategic approach.
He published one book for children and a collection of short stories. Passionate about martial arts and historical fencing. Speaks fluent English as a result of living for two years in United States mean while attending the public middle school. Has a great passion for life and curiosity. Eager to share his personal knowledge as well as knowing more about others. His contribution to the Jump’s team is focused on Emotional awareness, Stress management, Outdoor education, Echo schooling, story-telling, critical thinking, cultural heritage and a bubbly sense of humor (which he won’t teach but will gladly let you enjoy).

A young and independent movie maker, capable of directing, filming and editing short movies and documentaries, with a tested experience in the sector. 

He has a bachelor’s degree in DAMS (Disciplines of the Arts, Music and Spectacle) at the Roma Tre University of Rome with a focus on Cinema, Television and new media.

His passion for cinematography was born during his last high school year, by attending a filmmaking laboratory taught by the independent filmmaker Luca Piermarteri. After high school she soon started working as an assistant for his former cinema teacher, learning precious experience in movie making techniques, editing softwares and working on sets. 

His  capabilities made him able to teach moviemaking to teenagers and kids as young as twelve years old for many school projects that were aimed at instructing the new generations the importance of media literacy.

He has worked in this field since he was 18 years old, in the beginning as an assistant and later down the line as camera operator, video editor and teacher.

The main projects he has worked to are “Castelli al Cinema”: an initiative by the MIUR to bring a moviemaking laboratory in up to 7 highschools in the Castelli Romani area, “Foscolo Film Production”: a cinema laboratory of the Ugo Foscolo High School, “Class Action”: a documentary about the last year of Highschool of the students of the I.T.T. Livia Bottardi, “Aldo Salerno” a documentary about the former amateur football coach Aldo Salerno.    

He is really passionate about his job and he’s constantly seeking ways to improve and new challenges.

To watch some of his works here the links

Connie Leotta graduated in Foreign languages at University G. Marconi in Rome, but before that she got her Cambridge University CELTA to specialize in Teaching Adults in a communicative way. She has been and she is still a D.O.S. in many language centers, she has taught in several private and states schools throughout Italy and USA. She is also an English Examiner for all levels of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and she has been an interpreter for the Court and many international companies. She translated the book “Italian recipes Taste and Health” for the “Società Italiana di Igiene”.

Connie, American/Italian, grew up in Historical Philadelphia one of the most multicultured cities in the USA, decided to move to Italy to accept an inheritance and remained because she fell in love with Italian culture.

She loves poetry, reading and meeting new people. Whenever she can she organinizes cultural events and trips in Italy and USA.

It’s probably the only chef blogger of Ionian Cost, maybe of Calabria, Jolanta is Polish but she was living in London for a long time and then moved to Italy where she lives since 6 years. Her daily activity is cooking; expert in “cake design” but also very creative in managing her home-restaurant in Satriano (CZ). 

Jolanta unites in cooking many different ingredients: creativity, international fusion, reflection, time management and she develops entrepreneurial competences aiming at the development of future plans and opportunities.

Jolanta is also a wife, a mother, a gran mother and travels in all around Europe invited to make “international cooking lessons” or demonstrations. 

For JUMP she was involved in the training “Experience Italy: language, culture and food” in September 2016 and in the “Outdoor Education Week” in October 2016. 

Katarzyna Oklesińska, Kasia in short, is from Poland and she has been an English Language Teacher for over ten years. 

She has graduated from BA and MA studies in English Philology with a primary specialisation in English Language Teaching and secondary specialisations in Translation and Polish Language Teaching. As part of her MA studies, Kasia also completed a year-long study abroad programme at University College Dublin in Ireland. Additionally, she graduated from a CELTA course and was awarded with Pass A.

 Kasia has a comprehensive English teaching experience as she worked with various age groups throughout her career: very young learners, primary education children, adolescents, university students and, finally, adults. Kasia worked as a language teacher in four different countries: Poland, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy. She is keen on getting to know different cultures and she thrives in a multinational environment – her students come from 5 different continents!

Her teacher training adventure began in 2017 while working as a Director of Studies at one of the language schools in Poland and Cambridge Authorised Exam Centre. Kasia also shared her teaching methodology knowledge with pre-service teachers at the University of Lodz, Poland, where she ran a course on adapting and developing ELT materials. She loves writing and she was a peer writing tutor at English wRiting Improvement Centre (ERIC) and an English Academic Writing instructor at the University of Lodz.

Currently, Kasia is a self-employed English Language Teacher and a teacher trainer. She runs Media Information Literacy (MIL) and Video Education course at JUMP. Kasia loves incorporating new technologies into her lessons as they provide a bridge between students’ real life and an educational context. She was inspired to start experimenting with video editing by her Italian students in Tuscany a few years ago and she has been a huge fan of digital storytelling ever since.

Teresa is Italian born, Canadian raised and Calabrian nurtured.  She married early and raised her family.  She grew up in a multicultural environment, studying English, Italian, French, and appreciating the Humanistic subjects.  Her friends were from all nations, from India, Greece, Holland, Turkey to the Philippines giving her a 360°outlook.  Wanting more and knowing she could do more, she started working as a supply teacher for Conversational English.  She obtained her TEFL certification (teaching of English as a Foreign language) in Rome soon after. She has been working in this sector for more than 20 years dedicating herself to state and private schools with PONS, PORS and many different projects all over Catanzaro including the Policlinico Universitario “Magna Graecia”in Germaneto, Catanzaro.

After many years of teaching English, she is now an English examiner.

She is an intercultural mediator/translator also working in the province of Vibo Valentia dealing with political asylum applicants from all of Africa; dealing with public institutions such as schools, hospitals, police stations and courthouses.  She has met up with Jump in the recent past adding teacher trainer to her curriculum.

Teresa is dynamic, energetic, spontaneous, always willing to learn and teach, making the most of what she has.   Her interests range from traveling, outdoor trekking, reading good books, and having a night out with close friends.

She loves being with other people, listening to and sharing experiences.  Teresa is very fond of her friends creating long life bonds , looking forward to making new ones.