The Drop-in project was selected by Con i Bambini within the framework of the Youth Educational Poverty Fund. Its main objective is to support teenagers’ transition to adult life and inspire them to create their personal life project. The Drop-in project also helped restore two spaces where teenagers can gather safely and engage in reacreational and educational activities.
The two educational centres were born in Marsala (TP) at the G. Umile Multipurpose Aggregative Sports Centre and in Licata (AG) at the S.G.M. Tomasi parish.
In these safe spaces, children between the age of 14 and 17 are accompanied in their development through various activities.
This was made possible thanks to the work of the Agrigento and Trapani Fondazione Comunitaria and the Solidalia Consortium in cooperation with the Cooperativa Sociale PEGA, l’Associazione Rugby I Fenici, il Gruppo Scout Agesci Licata 2, l’Azione Cattolica S.G.M. Tomasi di Licata .
In Marsala, the PEGA Cooperative, a consortium of Solidalia, manages the local sports field in cooperation with the Rugby Association ‘I Fenici’ and the Women’s Football Association. This sports playground is located in Via Istria, an area with an alarming high rate of criminality, economic and socio-cultural disadvantage and educational poverty.
The activities mentioned include: after-school clubs, workshops, recreational activities and counselling for children and their families.
In Licata, at the parish St. Giuseppe Maria Tomasi, two groups of volunteers work actively to support children and teenagers living in the area (Agesci and Azione Cattolica). Across the city and particularly in the Fondachello Playa neighbourood, where our community centres are, the need for a constant attention towards young people is particularly important in order to tackle issues such as school drop out and criminality as well as increasing citiziens active partecipation in social life.
Weekly gatherings and all kids activities are inspired by the pedagogical methodologies of scouts and the Azione Cattolica aimed at promoting the active participation, social growth and development of those involved.
In both cities our two centres are being promoted as spaces for educational and relational growth. Our goal is to turn limits into thresholds and constraints into resources. A project done in collaboration with some of the local organisations and aim at promoting educational alliances that can last a long time, fight educational poverty and promote the development of educational communities.
The Drop-in project is co-financed by Fondazione Peppino Vismara and La Grande Casa Società Cooperativa Sociale (MI).