ASSOCIAZIONE LA STRADA ODV

The no-profit Association "La Strada" has been working for fifteen years in the territory of the municipalities of Medicina and Castel Guelfo in the province of Bologna, in a social work especially to help children in conditions of social difficulties. Over the years, the work has expanded, involving young people and adults, especially immigrants. The activities of the association begin with the daily work, each afternoon, of specific and personalised support open to boys and girls reported by the school and local social services. Afternoon activities include educational and entertainment moments with various themes that are being developed over the entire year. The association is also helping the learning process of Italian for immigrants (children, young people, adults) who have recently arrived in our country and we started an information point about job research or other bureaucratic issues. In addition, there are paths to access to work in a protected way for young people over 16 years of age who have abandoned the school. The association also carries out course about intercultural and peace education in schools. In collaboration with teachers of local schools, the Association has initiated educational projects for pupils from the public High School of Medicina and other schools in the area. The main topics discussed are: peace education with visits to Fossoli and Monte Sole, immigration and North-South relations of the world, foreign debt, equal and fair trade, Islam and Christianity in history and today. The association organizes periodicals Cineforum: through cinema, the aim is to make children think of important topics in the current social and cultural debate, such as bullying, racial hatred, gender difference, dialogue between generations, the world of emotions for youth, love and friendship, sexuality, suffering, and death. The association also develops artistic workshops for young people: painting workshops (with different techniques) are currently underway, including those with one or more topics discussed together as a background, and a workshop for the joint construction of a video made by the local young people. Excursions and trips are also offered, especially during the summer to know the territory from the historical, cultural, geographical and artistic point of view. The staff of the association is also responsible for the training of educators: there are annual trainings for educators. The topics of the trainings are: new adolescence and juvenile experiences nowadays. Training of educators is also carried out through an annual study trip and through seminars of social and pedagogical deepening. The destinations of recent study trips were: Auschwitz (with reference to shoah themes) Amsterdam, Anversa, Westerbork (with reference to Etty Hillesum's work) Bolzano and Monaco (referring to resistance to Nazism with particular reference to White Rose) Locride and Sicily (referring to the educational and social work for contrasting mafias) Barbiana and Città di Castello (referring to Don Milani's experience yesterday and Achille Rossi today). Social reintegration paths are also active for young people in social and housing difficulties who are accommodated in protected apartments. At present, the youth followed by the association are in total 60 of which about 10 immigrants and 20 second-generation young people. Given the diverse range of activities aimed at reducing social disadvantage and the reintegration of people at risk of social exclusion, the association actively cooperates with local institutions (City Council, Social Services, Employment Offices, Schools ...) and with other associations present in the neighbourhood Municipalities. For nine years the association has been working with the Territorial Youth Center and since 2015 it has started a more regular collaboration with the Medical Consultory. The association "La Strada" has been active for several years also as hosting organisation for the voluntee