The WishMI project

The project aims at improving public and private services targeting children (0-18 years old)  through four macro actions: a) the co-planning of new urban policies and programs for the improvement of the education and well-being system; b) a youth-led communication aimed at changing people’s perception of services; c) the creation of a new digital platform for finding and exchanging services and d) the piloting of projects, activities and physical hubs to improve children’s access to innovative social, cultural and educational public and private services.

The education and welfare system of the Municipality of Milan has been facing new challenges such as increasing inequality, social exclusion and youth poverty due to recent significant economic, demographic and social transformations. For instance, in the city of Milan 21,000 children live in extreme poverty  and 43% of the children under 15 years old live in the city suburbs that are characterised by high levels of school dispersion, early school leaving and unemployment. Moreover, public and private services are not able to give effective and integrated responses to the needs of children and their families due to a problem of resources and skills distribution.