Cultivating the future

Budget

18.000 €

Duration

September 2025 - February 2027

Objective

Promote the development of skilled, inclusive, and active youth within educational communities through experiential education

Context:

In Italy, around 1.3 million minors live in conditions of absolute poverty, almost double compared to 2005. This situation often results in educational poverty, limiting access to educational, cultural and recreational services. The southern regions are the most affected, with fewer educational opportunities and a school dropout rate of 12.7% in 2023, higher than the European average. More than 23% of young people aged 15 to 29 are not engaged in education, employment or training (NEETs), while about 25% of fifteen-year-olds fail to achieve adequate competencies in reading, mathematics and science (PISA Report 2023).
The pandemic and ongoing social changes have further worsened psychosocial distress: 34% of adolescents report frequent anxiety or stress, and 8% have experienced episodes of depression (ISTAT and CENSIS). This is compounded by growing distrust in institutions, with over 66% of young adults expressing little or no confidence in government and public policies (Eurispes 2023), highlighting the urgent need for innovative and inclusive educational interventions.

This highlights the need to combine theory and practice through experiential education, actively engaging young people in processes of personal and collective growth and developing critical, relational and practical skills. Activities such as workshops, collaborative projects and outdoor experiences promote active learning, social inclusion, youth empowerment and resilience, helping to counter educational poverty and psychosocial distress.
The project is a continuation of the initiative “SEMI di SAD – Growing educational communities through distance support”, aiming to disseminate replicable educational methodologies in contexts of vulnerability across Italy and to promote experiential education as a tool for holistic development, civic participation and the strengthening of educational communities.

Objectives:

O1: Provide quality, equitable and inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities for all
O2: Reduce inequalities
O3: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Activities:

The project aims to strengthen educational communities through experiential education, promoting collaborative networks, training pathways and innovative educational services. The planned actions are organized into three main pillars, aiming to foster synergies among local actors, enhance the skills of educators and citizens, and encourage active youth participation, with a lasting impact on the territory:

AXIS I: LbD Networking – Development of Networks for Experiential Education
This axis will focus on the development and consolidation of territorial networks for experiential education. A mapping of active stakeholders in the 21 territories will be carried out to identify best practices and promote knowledge sharing.
Territorial meetings and working tables will then be organized to foster dialogue among actors of the Educational Communities, strengthen synergies, and design integrated educational interventions. The process will conclude with a national promotional event aimed at highlighting the Learning by Doing approach, disseminating knowledge and results, and encouraging collaboration and the replication of best practices.

AXIS II: LbD Training – Training and Capacity Building
This axis will focus on the training and capacity building of students, volunteers, operators, and educators through multi-level pathways. The training activities will focus on art-education, sports, play, environmental activism, and new technologies, aiming to strengthen socio-educational skills.
Additionally, participatory events and initiatives will be organized at the territorial level, in the form of workshops and community feedback sessions, to enhance experiential learning pathways, promote local youth empowerment, and foster social cohesion.

AXIS III: LbD Making – Educational Services and Youth Activism
This axis will focus on the design and implementation of educational services. Workshops and activities co-designed with Educational Communities will be developed to enhance learning, inclusion, and youth skills.
These actions will be accompanied by a communication campaign and a final conference, aimed at showcasing youth-led initiatives, collecting emerging best practices, and promoting the replication of the model in other territorial contexts.

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Expected results:

R1 – 500 organizations** will be identified in the intervention territories to establish and strengthen Educational Communities. These organizations will share the experiential education methodology, transfer skills across territories, and develop operational models that can be replicated in other contexts.

R2 – 100 organizations** will participate in the working tables of the Educational Communities, selected through the mapping of educational actors. The meetings will foster synergies and exchanges of best practices, improving educational quality, collaboration, and project continuity.

R3 – 280 citizens and institutional representatives** will be involved in the national meeting. The event will promote the dissemination of the methodology, provide training for participants, and create opportunities to develop new collaborations, public policies, or replicable guidelines.

R4 – 400 people** will be trained through socio-educational and socio-pedagogical pathways with a focus on experiential education. The training will enhance professional and operational skills, creating a multiplier effect through the replicability of the learned methodologies.

R5 – 1,000 citizens, volunteers, and operators** will participate in the initiatives organized by the Educational Communities. The events will showcase the methodology, strengthen social cohesion, and disseminate knowledge that is replicable and sustainable over time.

R6 – 5,000 children and young people** will directly benefit from the co-designed educational services. The interventions will promote social inclusion, motivation, and skill development, contributing to holistic learning experiences.

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