Novareckon is the partner of Erasmus + Project: “Digital youth citizens for future society thanks to Erasmus” – Erasmus Youth E-CITIZEN. Last week (May 13-16) we hosted the leader of this Project – the Pro Cultura Foundation with young Polish educators who came to Novara for the study visit to associations working with young people (especially with risk of social exclusion).

On the first day we introduced Novara to our guests from Pro Cultura Foundation and Polish educators and explained the history and monuments of the city. It was a good opportunity to learn about the historical and social context in youth and culture. In the afternoon we had the opportunity to introduce the former military barracks “Nòva”, which is now a meeting center for youth and a venue for cultural meetings and events.

We visited: digital workshops (photography, 3D printer), study rooms, a meeting place with psychologists, rehearsal and recording rooms, and. We participated in workshops with young people (often on social assistance) who willingly participate in extracurricular activities organized by the city. We got to know this sensational place through active and passive observations, discussions and interviews.

In the following days we presented: FILOS FORMAZIONE: a place for vocational and social training of young people, often migrants and those from difficult backgrounds.

The center offers courses in: hairdressing, welding, carpentry, plumbing, mechanics, 3D printing, laser cutting, computer science, and tailoring. Vocational knowledge is essential and is a tool for socialization and integration of the young people who participate. It was important for young people themselves to talk about these places.  We also had the opportunity to try an escape room created by one of the educators and to learn about gamification, which is also used in classrooms to develop soft skills. It was a very interesting and challenging experience.

We were guided by the teachers within the organization, and in each workshop there were engaged participants talking about their activities. It was a very interesting experience.

The last place we presented was organization: Orientamente  and its workshop “Fadabrav”.

It is an integration place for young people, where they can engage in hobbies such as carpentry, sewing, bicycle repair, painting and graphic design. Workshops such as sewing were created as part of the “Open Doors” project, which in 2018 focused on combating educational poverty, with special attention to families with children up to six years old. We were able to try out the games made during the carpentry workshop and see the beautiful graffiti gallery. The last day was devoted to sightseeing (as part of a cultural and social tour) and learning about the socio-cultural context of the region and the city of Turin. There was time to discuss the situation of young people in the region, the risks faced by young people, and the region’s tourism potential.

The visit brought many positive experiences, knowledge and exchange of contacts, which will surely result in many new initiatives.