Social Hosting Hub in Gragnano: Developing an identity
Today, we report on the activities of Project Social Hosting Hub in the "midst of the Monti Lattari, on the margins of the peninsula of Sorrento, in the Gulf of Naples, one of the most beautiful and suggestive places on earth. Gragnano, which is part of the metropolitan City of Naples, is the home of the Istituto d'Istruzione Superiore Don Lorenzo Milani.
“In this area, families remain fundamental. They not only represent the institution in its most classical sense, but also still acts as a centre and guide for children, as well as the most important centre for human relations,” explains the school curriculum (PTOF - Piano triennale dell'offerta formativa). “Especially in smaller towns, families remain strong, dominant and well-rooted. They are among the most important groups that promote the area and annual milestones, often in relation to sacred and civil ceremonies.”
If, however, on the one hand, we have strong family ties, the social and economic network remains weak and unstable, driven by the long crisis, and “the presence of organised criminality further limits socio-economic development.” The PTOF also describes the context in which the school operates: “The area has an extremely high youth unemployment rate, which means that our students do not have a positive outlook. Many students attend university, and some enlist, while others look for employment without much interest as waiters or supermarket workers.”
The crisis “reverberates on the sustainability of families, on civil and social coexistence, on the operation of local agencies and institutions, including schools.” It is in this context that adolescents and pre-adolescents learn about on-line relations and the many implications of digital life. And schools must reinforce their educational role and hold.
Prof. Angela Di Rucco has involved the students in Social Hosting Hub. “The training has been very high quality. The coaches were very well-trained and knew how to custom-tailor language and content to the different age groups. I would recommend Social Hosting Hub meetings to everyone.”
“The sessions on safe surfing and cyberbullying really captured the students’ attention, as did the meetings on Gender Education, especially for the young women. The course was very helpful to these adolescents who are facing their identity, some more than others, of course.”
