GROW UP - ICEI

In the neighborhoods of Quarto Oggiaro and Villapizzone, in Milan’s Municipio 8, numerous families live facing situations of economic, educational, and social vulnerability. In these areas, characterized by a significant presence of public housing and a population with a high incidence of a migratory background (30% of the resident population), there are occurrences of petty crime, school dropout among 14-16 year olds (up to 15%), learning difficulties, psychological distress, family isolation, and at-risk behaviors among pre-adolescents and adolescents. Added to these needs is the difficulty of local services in ensuring timely and coordinated responses to increasingly complex issues.

To respond to these challenges, Grow Up. Generare Reti di Opportunità per un Welfare di Prossimità (Grow Up. Generating Opportunity Networks for a Proximity Welfare) was born—a project that aims to promote the well-being of minors and their families in the neighborhoods of Villapizzone and Quarto Oggiaro through the construction of an integrated public-private infrastructure capable of activating coordinated, inclusive, and community-based (proximity) responses, with a targeted focus on households in conditions of social and economic vulnerability. From a preventive perspective, the intervention enhances the educating community and tests new local welfare models based on participation, listening, and connection between needs, services, and experiences.

ICEI participates in the project by sharing its experience in building participatory tools for children and adolescents involved in the project. The objective is to develop effective participation pathways that allow minors to express their needs, ideas, and proposals, becoming protagonists in the choices that affect their growth and the life of the neighborhood.

COUNTRY

Italy

LOCATION

Milan (Municipio 8, Quarto Oggiaro and Villapizzone neighborhoods)

PERIOD

June 2026 – May 2030 (48 months)

PARTNERS

Farsi Prossimo (lead partner)
ICEI and a network composed of over 40 partners including Third Sector organizations, educational institutions, public services, associations, and local entities.

DONOR

Con i Bambini – Fund for combating child educational poverty

Objectives

The project aims to increase opportunities for well-being and inclusion for children, adolescents, and families living in vulnerable situations in the neighborhoods of Quarto Oggiaro and Villapizzone. Through an integrated system of collaboration among public services, schools, and the Third Sector, the intervention aims to intercept needs early, guide families toward available resources, and strengthen the educating community. Special attention is dedicated to minors with a migratory background, educational difficulties, and the most delicate moments of growing up, promoting a participatory and replicable model of local welfare.

Beneficiary

The project is aimed at children and young people aged 0 to 18 living in the neighborhoods of Quarto Oggiaro and Villapizzone and their families, with particular attention to households facing economic, educational, and social vulnerability, families with a migratory background, and minors most exposed to the risk of school dropout or social exclusion.

Direct beneficiaries also include teachers, educators, social and healthcare workers, cultural mediators, and all actors within the educating community involved in strengthening the local network.

Project activities

The project develops a coordinated set of interventions to accompany children, adolescents, and families throughout their growth process. It activates community-based (proximity) figures operating in the places most frequented by minors, such as schools, educational services, social gathering spaces, and neighborhoods, with the aim of intercepting situations of vulnerability early and guiding families toward the opportunities available in the local area.

Activities concern support for educational pathways, the promotion of psychological well-being, the strengthening of parenting skills, the prevention of juvenile delinquency, and the creation of opportunities for gathering and participation for children, young people, and families. Special attention is dedicated to transition moments between the different phases of growth and to the active involvement of the beneficiaries in the life of the community.

In parallel, the project strengthens collaboration between public and private entities through coordination roundtables, multidisciplinary teams, and shared case-management pathways, testing a stable model of proximity welfare. Enhancing neighborhood spaces, engaging citizens, and building new collaborative networks help make the two neighborhoods more inclusive, participatory, and capable of responding to the needs of new generations even beyond the conclusion of the project.