London – In Lecce, southern Italy, there is a school that has achieved something no other institution in the world can claim. The “Galilei-Costa-Scarambone” high school stands out internationally as the only school with three names featured in the most prestigious global rankings in education—often referred to as the “Nobel prizes” of schooling. On top of that, it was crowned World’s Best School 2024 last October, receiving a $10,000 award.

Among its most recent achievements is the recognition of Francesco Pio Manca, a 20-year-old who was selected in July for the Top 50 Global Student Prize 2025. His work has centered on creating and managing several social startups born right inside the classroom. One of the most impactful is Sportzine, which he co-founded with fellow student Filippo Milanese to provide live audio descriptions of Lecce football matches for blind fans.

Then there is Mirko Cazzato, now 23, who was only 14 when he and his classmates launched MABASTA – Movimento Anti Bullismo Animato da STudenti Adolescenti (the Student-Led Anti-Bullying Movement), today one of the most influential youth-driven initiatives against bullying and cyberbullying in Italy. The day after graduating, Mirko chose to keep developing the project as a social startup. In 2021, he was named among the Top 10 most impactful students worldwide in the Global Student Prize, later honored as Student of the Year 2021 by YEA – Your Edu Action. More recently, he also earned a spot in Forbes Under 30 – 2024. Today, Mirko leads a team of 60 young volunteers, aged 14 to 17, who travel across Italy introducing schools to the tested “MABASTA Model.” Just days ago, his first book, Non chiedermi se va tutto bene (Don’t Ask Me If Everything’s Fine), was published by Edizioni Piemme.

Both Francesco Pio and Mirko share the same mentor: Daniele Manni, a teacher of computer science and entrepreneurial thinking. Manni himself is no stranger to the international spotlight, having collected multiple honors over the years. These include being named to the Top 50 Global Teacher Prize 2015, winning the Global Teacher Award 2020 in India, and most recently, receiving the GESS Education Award 2023 in Dubai—the only Italian ever to win it.