ESC: Long-term in youth center San Giovanni Apostolo, Palermo

Associazione "San Giovanni Apostolo", funded in the year 2000, is a local "Centro di animazione territoriale" (Centre for community animation) working with kids, young people, young-adults and families of several suburbs located in the V and VI District of the city of Palermo. Community animation and local networking are the key elements of the work implemented by the association, which gives the possibility to its members and beneficiaries to have a personal growth, to coordinate mutually among each other, and to know and share experiences and working methodologies with other public and private bodies in the same field of intervention. By definition, a community animation centre coordinates its activities and projects with other centres and services which are working in the same area, in particular with kids and young people. The Centre is aimed to promote all young people development in a stimulating and enriching environment, based on the values of solidarity, mutual support and professional development, as core part of an educational and social path. In particular, activities are focused on groups and individual ones aimed at fostering the sense of ownership of the community and develop social attitudes among young people. Regular activities are: after-school support, guitar lessons, sport initiatives, creative workshops (drawing, theatre, sewing…). The association run every year football tournaments jointly with other local youth centres in Palermo with the aim to foster social inclusion and promote civic education through sport. Inside the Centre it is managed a football pitch where are hosted tournament matches, sport trainings and used as playground for kids. Activities are addressed to all the minors and young people aged between 6 and 25 years living in the neighbourhood and who face socio-economic and cultural disadvantages. Beneficiaries belongs to disadvantaged families with unemployed or low schooling parents, monoparental families, they are youngsters at risk of social exclusion, youngsters at risk of early school leaving, unemployed or NEET. Depending on different age needs, the centre proposes diversified services and activities supporting personal growth. Besides kids, secondary direct beneficiaries are parents and families of the minors involved in the activities, and local community of the district. Indirect beneficiaries are teachers and operators of public and private services in continuous relation with the Association. Nowadays, thanks to the support of volunteer, operators and self-funding initiatives, almost two hundred minors and families are already involved in activities promoted by San Giovanni Apostolo. The Association has an active cooperation with several local bodies, NGO’s and institutions which are: - the local network of all Community Animation centres; - the network against early school leaving and all local primary and secondary schools; - the local office of City Social Services; - the local Office for Social Services for Minors (USSM – Ufficio dei Servizi Sociali per Minorenni) and the local Office for alternative measures of the Ministry of Justice (UEPE – Ufficio per l’Esecuzione Penale Esterna); - local Caritas section and “Banco delle Opere di Carità” network; - Save The Children. Thanks to a fruitful cooperation with local NGO’s, the municipality of Palermo, stakeholders in the field of children rights and education, since November 2018 the organisation San Giovanni Apostolo is partner of the project “Liberi di crescere” a 4-years project in partnership with Associazione Libera and the school “Giuliana Saladino” during which it will be implemented self-analysis of educational activities and social intervention which supports the community growth, with the aim to create a more structured and permanent network. This same project involves 4 more Italian cities and it is promoted by “Con i Bambini Impresa Sociale”. Also, it participates in Save The Children’s campaign “Illumiamo il Futuro”.