Harvesting, Analysing and Nourishing Development Strategies

ongoing

The HANDS - Harvesting, Analysing, and Nourishing Development Strategies project stems from the pressing need to address the challenges of young people with fewer opportunities in Sicilian communities. The project revolves around the symbolic meaning of hands and fingers and addresses the inherent difficulties of the region, characterised by poor infrastructure, limited growth prospects and educational poverty. The HANDS project spans 24 months, targeting vulnerable children and young people through volunteer teams in high-priority areas within the European Solidarity Corps, through two flows of 25 volunteers each year (50 in total - 30 with fewer opportunities). Working in cooperation with local partners, the project aims to create innovative high-impact learning experiences based on non-formal education. The geographical scope extends to Palermo, Gela, Mussomeli, Milena and Mazzarino, covering more than 20 inland and rural communities. In the first year, the project focuses on an in-depth needs assessment, promoting collaboration with local communities and developing non-formal education methods adapted to the identified needs. The second year focuses on the experimentation and refinement of non-formal education methods, actively involving the target groups, and the itinerant education plan is further adapted according to the results of the experimentation and culminates in a final, consolidated and adaptable resource, a replicable, itinerant learning methodology, specifically targeting disadvantaged children and youth. The project addresses the urgent need for intervention and support, recognising the need for a personalised approach to effectively respond to diverse community needs. The main features of HANDS are the promotion of positive learning experiences, the adaptation of solutions to disadvantaged groups, the active involvement of the community and the dissemination of European values.