In the wider Udine area, a significant number of young people are followed by social services for situations of serious hardship, most of them minors, and around half come from foreign families. Rates of young people not in education, employment or training are also on the rise in the area.
Economic hardship within families limits many minors' access to cultural and educational activities, narrowing their chances to socialise and grow. The result is often isolation, low self-esteem and less confidence in facing school. Guided outings to explore the local area, paired with space to reflect on the experience together, can help ease these effects.
The project
"CULTUR-ALI" aims to increase access to cultural and educational opportunities for young people in Udine. Over six months, the project works to improve the active participation and inclusion of a group of young teenagers through outings into the local area and shared reflection sessions at Casa Thabit, strengthening their sense of belonging to a wider educating community.
The approach draws on the Salesian preventive system: prevention rather than repression, within an environment of trust where educators recognise and build on each young person's potential while staying present in their everyday life. The project also opens up extracurricular cultural experiences and more inclusive use of Udine's public spaces, in line with the wider goals of education, reduced inequality and sustainable communities.
Who the project is for
The project's direct beneficiaries are 15 minors aged 11 to 17, at risk of educational poverty, referred by schools and social services and followed at Casa Thabit.
Its impact reaches further, to participating minors' families, who benefit from their children's improved wellbeing and social skills, and to the wider community of Udine, involved through a final public event.
Project name: CULTUR-ALI - opportunità culturali per garantire accessibilità, libertà e inclusione ai giovani di Udine
Proposing organisation: Metacometa Aps
Area of intervention: Inclusion & Social Development
Country: Italy