We fight educational poverty through an innovative educational model based on the use of creative methodologies and the active and planning relationship with territories

P.arch is an innovative project that involved children from primary and secondary schools in Rome, Palermo and Favara (AG), and their families, teachers and the communities living in these cities.

The objective that guided the many activities implemented over the course of almost 4 years has been to make children/citizens more aware, to enrich their skills through the use of creatively-based methodologies and to make schools the driving force for development and change in the territories.

This was also possible thanks to the dialogue with universities, institutions, associations and with the active involvement of the entire educating community.

The choice of the territories in which P.arch acted was guided by the project partner schools located in peripheral or marginalised areas, not only in their geographical location (metropolitan suburbs or places that are difficult to reach such as Favara, a town in the Sicilian hinterland) but also in their socio-cultural dimension: these are fragile territories with high rates of educational poverty, school drop-out, social discomfort and problems of multiethnic and multicultural integration. Territories, therefore, where opportunities for personal, cultural, professional and social growth are scarce for young people.

Many activities were realised by P.arch including:

• Creative educational path: #architecture, place-based #storytelling, #gaming. The boys and girls took part in over 240 hours of workshop activities using creative and artistic-based methodologies and tools to develop cognitive and non-cognitive skills and strengthen their connection with the territory. The course was subject to pedagogical evaluation by a specialised body
• Training for school teachers in the use of creative methods in teaching to foster the active participation of students and combat school dropout
• Community engagement. Children, parents, representatives of local associations participated in meetings to strengthen the educating community by meeting with professionals and sociologists
• Opening of psychological support desks in schools and homework help service
• Creation of 3 Neighbourhood Collective Museums
• Regeneration of outdoor and indoor spaces in the schools involved based on the indications and wishes of the students with self-made furniture during the architecture workshops
• Creation of 6 murals with the involvement of artists and creative people
• Creation of the Almanac “Super Neighbourhood Heros”, a collection of comic strips set in the areas involved entirely designed and illustrated by the boys and girls (free download here)
• Design with Minecrarft of the neighbourhoods of Primavalle (Rome), San Giovanni Apostolo, ex-CEP (Palermo) and Favara realised by the classes involved during the gaming workshops

P.arch is a project selected by Con i Bambini as part of the Fund for the fight against educational poverty for minors.