Bertolino Fabrizio

Bertolino Fabrizio is a University Researcher in General and Social Pedagogy (M-PED/01) at the Department of Human and Social Sciences of the University of Valle d'Aosta since 2003. He serves as co-director of the interuniversity advanced training course "Education and Nature: Role and Skills of the Outdoor Professional" (UniMib, UniBo, UniPr, UniVda) and co-director of the editorial collection "Educazione e Natura" (Junior-Spaggiari, Parma). His professional profile bridges environmental education and pedagogy, with a focus on creating meaningful connections between children and nature.

Dr. Bertolino holds a Diploma di Laurea in Scienze Naturali (Natural Sciences) from the University of Turin (1995), with highest honors. His academic journey expanded from natural sciences to humanities, complemented by certifications as an Environmental Educator (1995) and Voluntary Ecological Guard (1995). Prior to his current position, he served as President of the Collina Torinese Natural Park (2001-2011) and held research scholarships at the University of Turin.

His research interests focus on environmental and sustainability education, particularly examining the educational potential of rural contexts, outdoor learning environments, and nature-based pedagogy. He investigates how children's relationship with nature can be strengthened through various educational approaches including comics and picturebooks as teaching tools. His work bridges the "two cultures" of sciences and humanities, creating a unique interdisciplinary perspective on education.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on nature-based education, with particular attention to rural contexts, outdoor learning environments, and the use of visual media like comics and picturebooks in education. His work spans theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and historical perspectives on environmental education, showing a deep commitment to understanding how educational practices can reconnect children with natural environments.

Dr. Bertolino is actively involved in several research projects including the PRIN national project on Maria Montessori's pedagogy and the PRA project "Classrooms under the Sky" aimed at establishing a regional network of open-air schools. He serves on the scientific committees of journals "Bambini" and "Culture della Sostenibilità" and is a member of numerous academic associations including the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) and the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED).