REvitalizing networks and New Emphasis in Transfer: preventing and facing early school leaving by sharing solutions and tools 1st Transnational Workshop Rome, 18 th -19 th March 2010 The Experience of the Resources Centres against school leaving A general overview

The following information have been taken from the Report 2007 edited by The Italian Ministry of Education - Direction of International Affairs – Authority for the Management of the National Operational Programme School for development”

The National Operational Programme (NOP) “School for Development” 2000/2006, has been addressed to 6 Regions of the South of Italy. Consistently with the National and UE policies, oriented to innovation and quality development, the main implementation goal stressed by the NOP was the “social cohesion” and, consequently, the promotion of initiatives aimed at preventing and coping with school leaving and young exclusion, stressing their strict cause and effect relation.

The interventions realised implied: actions addressed to parents Young dropouts re-integration didactical activities aimed at the acquisition/strenghtening of competences promotion of training modules for social inclusion and education re- inclusion initiatives for the re-integration of young at risk of youth crime resources centres against school leaving Activities realised in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, to promote the culture of legality.

In this frame, have been created “Resources Centres against school leaving and young exclusion” that, networking with other schools and territorial actors, implement specific actions within the European Social Fund (ESF) Measures. In particular, these actions have been and are aimed at: realising educational and training activities to prevent young discomfort and to re-integrate young dropped out of school; creating environments properly equipped, where young can participate to diversified activities - based on cooperation and sharing approach - promoting socialisation, counselling, free time use, competences development.

The main aspect characterising these Centres is that they have become meeting places interconnected with different territorial actors (schools, cultural bodies, institutions, associations, companies, etc.). In fact, they have fostered the mutual cooperation with all subjects at different level representing and participating to local community development (parents, local bodies, enterprises, voluntary organisations, detention homes, social and health services, Police forces, etc.). The Resources Centre located inside each School is on one side, “vehicle” of didactical experimentations aimed at motivating young particularly disadvantaged and, on the other, a space for learning, leisure, counselling, training, young and adults re-qualification, etc.

In order to evaluate in details the outcomes achieved within the 6 years by the Resources Centres - also in terms of impact against school leaving - and, consequently, to identify criticalities and to plan future interventions, has been realised a quali- quantitative analysis. The research has focused in particular on: the planning capability of the Resource Centres; the analysis of the progress and trend of the activities started up; the quantification and analysis of the typologies of targets involved; the functionality of the Centre facilities; the action of the Centre for the social inclusion.

Specific relevance has been stressed on the interventions promoted by the Centres to cope with school leaving. In general, all projects realised share the principle that school leaving must be faced implementing initiatives of different nature, each one considering a specific point of view and related approach: counselling and guidance interventions; activities for socialisation, recreation, development and strengthening of life skills; sensitization activities addressed to families; teachers training; involvement of experts and territorial actors; etc.

Even if the analysis has highlighted the necessity of widening, valorising and improving the experiences realised, it is to be stressed - especially considering the characteristics and difficulties held by the Regions involved – that, in general, the Resources Centres have demonstrated to develop and held a high organizational capability by: promoting and leading various occasions for the territorial cultural development and enhancement; succeeding in the networking with the territory of reference.

That is why RENET project was born, to contribute to the valorisation, development and promotion of the richness produced by the projects implemented between 2000 and 2006, with a total amount of financial resources equal to € ,96.