During their school’s “Alternative Learning Week”, the students from an Italian school embarked on a special project that took them on a journey through time, rediscovering the beauty of postcards and stamps. This initiative, led by their teacher Matteo Aldrovandi (aka mattyboy3y) aimed to introduce students to the magic of traditional correspondence, stamp collecting, and the joy of waiting for a postcard in an increasingly digital and fast-paced world. Here’s Matteo’s report of that special activity!
Hi everyone! I’m Matteo, a teacher at Scuola Secondaria di I grado ‘B. Croce’ in Gonzaga, working with three first-year classes (students aged 11 years old). Our “Alternative Learning Week” is all about breaking away from traditional teaching methods and exploring new, enriching experiences. Thanks to the Postcrossing forum, I connected with Ana (aka Anacalma), a Spanish teacher working with students with motor disabilities. When we realized that both of our classes had around 70 students, we saw the perfect opportunity for a “direct swap” between our schools. And just like that, with the help of Postcrossing, our adventure began!
The project unfolded in several exciting phases. First, my Italian students explored the fascinating history of postal communication through archival videos from Poste Italiane website, learning how stamps and letters have played a crucial role over the centuries. Then, they took part in a fun and engaging challenge: voting for the “Most Beautiful Stamp of 2024,” a competition that sparked their curiosity and appreciation for stamp design.
But the real highlight of the experience was the creation of personalized postcards. With enthusiasm and creativity, each student designed their own unique postcard, which they then carefully addressed and stamped—many of them for the very first time! These special postcards were sent across borders to their peers in a secondary school in Madrid, Spain, turning this into a truly international exchange.
None of this would have been possible without Postcrossing! Through this initiative, my students not only experienced the excitement of sending a tangible message but also discovered the anticipation and joy of receiving a postcard in return, perhaps even starting new international friendships or sparking a newfound interest in stamp collecting and postcard writing. Who knows? Maybe among these young participants, there are future postcrossers… or even the designers of a future Italian postage stamp!
A heartfelt thank you to the Postcrossing team, to Anacalma, and to everyone who helped make this project possible. This experience proved that even in the digital age, the charm of postcards and stamps remains as magical as ever!
45 comments so far
What a great story - loved how Postcrossing helped make the connection. More power to the teachers and students - have fun!!
Fantastic story! As an ESL teacher, I love this alternative method of teaching!!
Just love this! Thank you for sharing!!!
What a great learning experience for students at both schools!
This is great, love it!
Sweet, Matteo.What lucky students you have with a clever, kind, caring teacher. A wonderful connection. Madeline
I think this is such a wonderful activity. I hope it brings back the love of writing by hand, and building a love of the anticipation of a postcard or a letter. Rather than the immediate fix of receiving an email. I think the cards they made are so beautiful. Well done to all.
Great! I hope we have a chance to experience such activities too XD
Wow, there are some talented artists. Those postcards are fantastic. Enjoy the journey,
What a fabulous learning opportunity! great work!
Oh my god, the cards drawn by the children are so cute. This kind of activity is really good. I hope every child can participate.
This is so beautiful! Uplifting and wholesome; the world needs more. Thank you for guiding and encouraging your students in creativity, thoughtfulness, and international relations.
Lovely idea, congratulations!
Love this story, thanks for sharing! Matteo, please tell your students how much joy their efforts and explorations have brought to many others around the world who have now heard about them
Truly interesting! It reminded me of Montessori schools' proactive learning principle. There are also non-scheduled own learning lessons in each Montessori school (no frontal teaching but "freework" lessons where pupils plan their work on their own). Also there are likewise creative projects in this. I was a Montessori pupil for ten years, one of the first two pupils who graduated in this semester term back then in 2005. It's not in my profile, because it's only a part of who I am, but as a woman with motoric impairment as well, I see how it does teacher Matteo 's pupils so well to let out the creative vein within all of us! Bravo, Scuola di Gonzaga! And always try to to the first step in connections, it will pay off! Beautiful card designs!
Super idea! Love the drawings. Real little artists in your classes!
❤️ what a great idea!
It Is beautiful
Thank you for sharing your project. We need more projects like this that connect students in such a personal way.
What a wonderful activity! It's always so exciting to see students really get into sending and receiving postcards and mail.
What a great idea! And the postcards are truly beautiful :) Well done
I love it!
Cool!
Hope plenty of teachers get inspired by this example.
Hola, muy bien
Highly appreciable projects by both the schools and thoughtful teachers and creative students. I would like to send one postcard to each of the school. Please send me the addresses.
Keep it up. Friendship build through postal exchange is always clean and gives happiness.
Very nice idea and experience! 🙂❤️
What a great story --- love the connections that Postcrossing can share with us! I sent a postcard in the past to Matteo @mattyboy3y ... way back in 2008!
Great activity to spark the interest of postcard and arts in kids nowadays as the technology evolve rapidly.
Matteo,You are really a good teacher. You are a sower of wisdom and teach students by word and example. Learning is a journey without end,I hope the children have a good time.
That's a wonderful experience! The children's works are colorful and adorable. Thank you for showing us the photos.
Great idea! And wonderful activity. I think the pupils like these kind of lessons.
Good idea, and the cards are so creative!
Beautiful idea & wonderful activity!
BRAVO!
xoxo
Such a great idea! And super creative and fun! I’m glad to see this wonderful hobby come alive in schools.
Hello Matty! What a wonderful class! I hope children today can also enjoy writing letters and postcards, and feel the excitement of receiving them.
This is amazing. The joy of tangible mail, it'd be great if they make new friends overseas. I hope it continues. I've certainly enjoyed connecting with pen friends through postcrossing. Well done those teachers.
What a great activity Matteo! I still remember doing a penpal exchange with a class in Florida (I lived in Nevada, USA in grade 3. My penpal and I ended up exchanging postcards and letters for years. I believe that was the start of my love for handwritten correspondence!
Thanks to both teachers for creating this opportunity for your students❤️
P.S. The artwork on the postcards is amazing! I love handmade postcards and am so thrilled when I receive a handmade card through postcrossing. Your class is filled with artists.
Congratulations to teachers like Matteo who engage in activities outside the required curriculum that expose students to fun, yet meaningful, creative experiences.
To all postcrossers, Hello! A wonderful initiative by my postcrosser friend Matteo mattyboy3y and Spanish teacher Anna, who as part of the "Alternative Education Week" held an event for students that introduced students from two schools to the magical magic called postcrossing.
Happy postcrossing!
Postcrossing is a unifying and kind force, and it's great to be a part of it.
What a fun learning activity! I also see a lot of future postcrossers there! :)
Such a lovely and creative learning experience that must've been!
Well done Matteo and Anna! It's such an interesting project! I wish I had the opportunity to participate in a similar activity, growing up. I love that the students designerd their own cards.
Matteo, that's a great idea! Children are very creative by themselves! You have very talented students!😍 When my children give me postcards that they made themselves, for me they are the most magnificent postcards in the world 🤗 Let this creative experiment become a good tradition.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This is certainly very heartwarming! I loved reading about this! And I wonder, which stamp did they vote as the “Most Beautiful Stamp of 2024”?
Matty, I wish I could time travel and have you as my teacher at age 11. What a wonderful educational experience you, along with Ana, provided for your students.
Ohh my dear Matteeo!
You’re amazing person. You give children a great job and a bright future.
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