The OpenSpace project

The project aims at promoting the creation of communities where children, parents, teachers, school managers, educators, institutions, no profit associations and private actors work together to prevent and address educational poverty. The project includes activities to improve children’s soft skills and expertises in various fields including robotics, coding, theatre; to raise awareness and reduce early school leaving; to support parents through parenting programs; to strengthen private and non-private services targeting children and families; and to improve and renovate school spaces.

Educational poverty is a widespread and multidimensional problem that affects an increasing number of children, adolescents and youth.  In Italy, over 1 million children between the ages of 3 and 18 live in absolute poverty, while the school leaving rate in 2016 reached 13.8%. Educational poverty limits the opportunities that children and adolescents must enjoy in order to have a complete and adequate psycho-physical growth and to acquire the skills and competencies essential for their educational and working future. Educational poverty generally manifests itself in contexts characterized by poor economic development, social exclusion and degradation and further exacerbates the cycle of poverty where children are trapped.