In Piedmont, young people with mild intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome still face real difficulties with social and professional inclusion. Practical settings where they can build autonomy and skills are often hard to find, and once school ends, many have few opportunities to develop the abilities that support everyday independence. The lack of hands-on, responsibility-building experiences increases the risk of isolation and dependency.
The Vinovo Hippodrome offers a real, stimulating environment instead, one that supports learning, active participation and a first step towards the world of work.
The project
"Scuderia Da campioni" brings young people with mild intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome into the everyday life of the Vinovo Hippodrome, through practical, hands-on activities around the stables and the racecourse. Working in a real setting rather than a simulated one, participants take on genuine tasks and responsibilities, building autonomy, confidence and pre-employment skills step by step.
The programme aims to promote social inclusion, autonomy and equal opportunities, helping participants grow in independence and self-esteem while reducing isolation. The ongoing collaboration between the hippodrome, participants' families and the local area is what allows the project to be sustained and, in time, repeated in other contexts.
Who the project is for
The project's direct beneficiaries are 16 young people with mild intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome, taking part in the pre-professional pathways at the Vinovo Hippodrome.
Its impact reaches further: around 40 family members will see their children grow more independent, and the local community gains greater awareness of social and professional inclusion for young people with disabilities.
Project name: Scuderia Da campioni
Proposing organisation: Da campioni asdps
Area of intervention: Inclusion & Social Development
Country: Italy