The aim of the project
The “Scuola Libera Tutti!” project was created to tackle school dropout and early school leaving by integrating schools and the local community into an educational partnership capable of offering free and inclusive services. It is involving 550 students aged between 12 and 18 from 14 schools in five Italian cities, promoting educational success through after-school programmes, educational activities, skills development, guidance and personalised support.
The heart of the project, as explained by Salesians for Social, is “to combat early school leaving; that is, first and foremost, to build and foster healthy relationships, where every young person, supported by adults, can be at the centre of an educational community, free to be themselves, discovering their talents with creativity and joy.”
“Maker Lab”: learning by doing
In Venaria, the programme is being implemented through two channels: “the Maker Labs” and the “Family LabOratorio”.
The “Cooking and Robotics Maker Labs” are run in collaboration with the “Venaria I – Lessona’ and ‘Venaria II – Don Milani’ comprehensive schools, are inspired by the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) disciplines, and are based on the ‘learning by doing’ methodology as spaces for practical experimentation where young people can learn by getting involved first-hand.
In the Cooking Maker Lab, pupils put themselves to the test by preparing recipes, managing the organisation of the work, dividing up tasks and collaborating within the group. Through a practical and engaging activity, they developed responsibility, independence and transferable skills, applying the knowledge learnt at school in a practical way.
In the Robotics Maker Lab, on the other hand, the young people began exploring the basics of educational robotics using ‘Lego Spike’ kits: they built and programmed small devices, experimenting with coding, practising problem solving and stimulating creativity and critical thinking. “The workshops are becoming a space where young people feel capable and valued,” said a project coordinator.
“LabOratorio in Famiglia”: the city becomes a community
But that’s not all: thanks to the “Scuola Libera Tutti!” project at the Salesian St Francis of Assisi oratory , the community prevention initiative “LabOratorio in Famiglia” has also been launched.
The first meeting, entitled “The educational relationship: being present, listening and accompanying”, brought together families, young people, educators and local workers for an afternoon of inter-generational dialogue. Following an initial presentation of the programme and its aims, adults and young people worked in parallel groups on the key themes of the session. The adults, through a symbolic activity that visualised the network of relationships to be built, reflected on the meaning of being present and the importance of an educational presence that accompanies without taking over.
The young people, meanwhile, began by watching the short film “The Child, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”, which provided the starting point for discussing profound themes such as feeling loved, kindness, the courage to ask for help and the need to be accepted for who one is. The feedback session brought adults and young people together in a genuine exchange of listening, giving voice to the experiences, expectations and needs of the younger generation. The meeting concluded with a snack prepared by the young people from the Cooking Maker Lab, a tangible sign of a project that weaves together learning, relationships and community.
An educational alliance looking to the future
In Venaria Reale, the “Scuola Libera Tutti!” project is thus strengthening the network between school, oratory and families, creating educational spaces that complement traditional teaching and making a tangible contribution to preventing early school leaving. The project thus offers real opportunities to hundreds of students, demonstrating that “when the city becomes a village, no one grows up alone”.
