VICENZA, Italy – The Department of Defense Education Activity and the Vicenza community celebrated the opening of the new DODEA Vicenza High School Friday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The opening is special for the whole Vicenza community, the military on post and Italians off post, said Col. Scott Horrigan, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Italy. Many Italian political, law enforcement and education officials attended the event.
“A new school in Vicenza, represents a tangible example of continuing to build relationships with the local community,” Horrigan said. “Investing in schools and in young people is believing in our future together, Italians and Americans.”
Officials from the Army, Navy, DoDEA and Italian community attended the ceremony that included remarks from DoDEA Director Tom Brady, a choir performance and the local Junior Reserve Officer Training Course (JROTC) color guard presenting the colors.
Begun in 2019, construction was completed recently. The school opened for students in August. Built for a capacity of 350 students, the school was designed with Palladian architecture emphasis, with elements incorporated from the work of Venetian master Andrew Palladio.
(U.S. Army photos by Cpl. Genesis Miranda and 1st Lt. Katherine Sibilla)