Fondazione Cariplo launches two new tenders: one dedicated to NEETs, the other on the emotional and psychological well-being of children and young people. The first announcement, “Neetwork in rete”, is in support of the most fragile component of the NEETs, i.e. young people who do not study, do not work and are not engaged in any training activity. The total budget is 2.3 million euros. Our country matters over two million young people aged between 15 and 29 years in this condition, of which about 254 thousand in Lombardy alone. This set includes boys of both sexes with different characteristics and life and school paths, of which, however almost half have a low level of education in common, i.e. they do not have a diploma. The most vulnerable component consists more frequently of young women, boys with disadvantaged and unsupportive socio-economic backgrounds and with lower than average levels of skills and soft skills. Living the condition of NEETespecially if prolonged, it generates consequences affecting various spheres of life: from health and psychological well-being to the ability to self-determine one’s life path. The most complex challenge of planning aimed at NEETs, in particular as regards young people who have left the school system prematurely, is first of all that of intercepting them, followed by that of hooking them up and giving continuity to the activation paths proposed to them. Therefore it becomes crucial to build alliances and networks on the territory capable of approaching the phenomenon in an innovative, integrated and multidisciplinary way.
With this tender, Fondazione Cariplo intends to strengthen the action to combat the NEET phenomenon launched in 2016 with the Network Project, enhancing the resources of the territory and enhancing the capacity to intervene in support of young people at greater risk of marginalization. In particular, the call intends to support initiatives for the interception, hooking up and reactivation of NEETs responding to a profile of fragility (18-29 year olds, in possession of a maximum professional qualification, unemployed for at least three months) effective in reinforcing their self-esteem, motivating them and increasing their employability. Neetwork Networking is a tender with a two-stage deadline:
- June 6, 2023: Phase 1, submission of the project idea;
- October 18, 2023: Phase 2, sending of the final design.
The online compilation of the call will be available from 12 April. The online Neetwork tender will be presented on 17 April at 3 pm (streaming event on the Cariplo Foundation website).
In line with the strategic objectives, and in particular with that of innovating welfare systems by adapting the responses to the evolution of needs, the second tender from 3.5 million euros it looks at the emotional, psychological and relational well-being of children and young people: is called “Carefully”, expires on 8 June 2023 and will be presented on Tuesday 18 April at 3 pm (always in streaming).
In the most acute phases of the pandemic, and even more in the post-emergency period, many alarms and appeals have been raised regarding the possible consequences on mental health of the population, and of minors in particular. Several rumors have reported a growing emotional and psychological malaise expressed by children and young people in very different forms and intensities: anxiety, depression, aggression, conduct and emotional regulation disorders, digital addiction, eating and sleep disorders, school phobia, social withdrawal , up to attacks on the body (suicidal ideation and acts of self-harm). At the same time, families, schools and services have shown concern and difficulty regarding the possibility of carrying out their educational and/or care task in order to deal with this situation, in suitable times and ways. Quarantines, restrictions, social isolation, family stress, prolonged closure of schools and educational services, uncertainty about the future, have acted as “detonator-accelerator-emersive” agents of already present ailments: in fact, significant manifestations of hardship and suffering among the younger sections of the population appear to have been growing for some time. To date it is not yet possible to have a detailed analysis of the phenomenon, which also remains difficult to define and perimeter. An action of knowledge and listening, which goes beyond widespread perceptions and micro-investigations, appears to be all the more necessary. Many have long suggested tracing some contributing causes of this widespread malaise in the fragility of the adult world and in deficiencies and dysfunctionality of contexts and educational models.
The current debate therefore warns against risk of excessive medicalisation and “privatisation” of emerging discomforts (only individual care and recourse to specialist services) and solicits a work of listening, prevention and early interception, particularly in the living environments of children and young people (the family, school and non-formal education contexts) through support for reference adults, awareness-raising and training that contribute to greater awareness and the ability to promptly read the signals of hardship and risk; moreover, it strongly suggests to create “bridges” and spaces for collaboration between families, educational, social and health services.
It appears a priority to intervene in the first place on situations of hardship, in the light of the many needs that are still unanswered, supporting the activation of all available resources to help give immediate support to the many young people who experience them, in the knowledge that in the medium to long term it will be necessary to invest more on widespread prevention systems and the active promotion of well-being.
After the territory’s significant response to the first tender, the Cariplo Foundation renews its commitment on the subject, confirming the basic structure for contribute to addressing the situation brought to light by the pandemic, starting with the most disadvantaged minors from a psychic, emotional and relational point of view. It will do so by supporting projects that guarantee theearly interception of situations of emerging or submerged discomfort, so that they do not risk being neglected and therefore evolving into serious diagnoses and chronic pathologies. Not only that: the goal is to increase the ability of institutions to articulate for and with minors – at risk or with already full-blown hardships – timely forms of support and care, well calibrated and coordinated on an educational, social and health level. Finally, it is necessary to facilitate the emergence or strengthening of territorial alliances among the actors of the third sector, the public and the community, willing to put these issues on a common work agenda.