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The Giallorossi forward is the sixth player from Roma this season to take part in the "A Scuola di Tifo" project, which aims to raise awareness on sporting values among young children at school and is backed by Roma Cares.
"Respect is vital in both football and life," El Shaarawy said during the event. "There's a lot of respect out there on the pitch, barring a few exceptions. I always say that to receive respect you have to give it first. You need education basically."
The Roma star embraced the children present before sitting down to a Q and A led by the pupils themselves. Here are some of the points they touched upon:
What kind of guy are you? Are you happy to be here?
"Usually I'm pretty relaxed, but it's the first time I've visited a school and I'm emotional after the welcome I received."
What's the most difficult aspect about being a footballer?
"First of all, I'll tell you the good thing about it: You get to make a dream come true that you've had ever since you were little. The most difficult thing is keeping yourself at the top level. You have to always be humble in order to develop and keep on learning. "Family and friends are also extremely important to ensure you don't give up during the tough times that inevitably crop up."
What was it like scoring your first goal in Serie A?
"A wonderful experience at San Siro with AC Milan. I made my dream come true at 18 years old!"
The Giallorossi No.22 also posted a selfie with the youngsters on his official Twitter account that included another message about respect for them to learn: "A good person isn't the one who wins but who accepts when they've been defeated."
Alongside El Shaarawy at the Roma Cares event was Diana Bianchedi, who's in charge of the committee behind Rome's bid for the 2024 Olympics. The former Olympic athlete – who won a host of medals in her time – praised the initiative while stressing the importance of getting young people interested in sport: "You can see a special light in the children's eyes when you talk about sport.
"We all have the task of ensuring they can experience the Olympic dream and helping them find a way to make the best of their passion for sport. It will be a challenge to bring the Olympics to Rome in 2024 and then we can all do something great for this city."
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