Disability, the project “Inclusi: from school to life, there and back” is born, towards independent living

ROMA – Is called Mentor and it is the new function created in the field of personal services and social support with the aim of accompanying girls and boys with disabilities who attend the last years of high school to orient themselves in the world of work. The idea comes from “Iincluded. From school to life, there and back“, three-year project selected by “With the children” as part of the Fund to combat child educational poverty, which involves third sector organizations throughout Italy in promoting a school and a territory that is fair and accessible to all.

The lack of that “bridge”. Today in Italy, for children with disabilities, a “bridge” is missing that connects the world of school with that of work and society in which to live independently; There is also a lack of official data recording this important passage in life, in which most of the reference points change, an even more delicate and complex passage for those with a disability. To fill this void, “Inclusi” has started the training course “Mentor: tools and strategies to promote work participation and quality of life”. After just over a year of activity, the first 10 are at work Mentor of Italy: they are based on educators, teachers, psychologists and social workers from Milan, Cremona, Naples, Salerno, Ascoli Piceno and Senigallia, who have attended the course and then put the training into practice, involving so far 70 girls and boys with disability.

The need for a new look. The formation of Mentor provides a new approach and look towards the person with disabilities and their life plan, starting from the evaluation of 8 areas that uniquely characterize each individual: physical, material and emotional well-being, self-determination, personal development, interpersonal relationships, social inclusion , rights, empowerment. This work allows us to put the person at the center and therefore plan targeted interventions that take into account the skills and resources of the young person, but also their desires, expectations and rights. The ultimate goal is to improve his quality of life, also promoting greater inclusion in society.

The function of the Mentor. Il Mentor it therefore orients the young person towards the profession that best combines their interests and skills with the needs of the market, identifying professional training opportunities and accompanying them in the first delicate phase of job placement by mediating with the company to help find the right balance between the employer and the new employee. In the Mentor training courses, the presence of different professionals – educators, teachers, psychologists and social workers – coming from various geographical contexts – Lombardy, Campania, Marche – allowed us to reflect on the different life contexts.

Who was it promoted by? The project training course Mentor was promoted and created by the SIR Consortium of Milan in collaboration with other “Inclusi” partners: Spazio Aperto Servizi of Milan, Cooperativa Meraki of Cremona, Casa della Gioventù of Senigallia (Ancona), Consorzio Proodos of Naples, Cooperativa Sociale Bambù of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio (Naples), La Rada Consortium of Salerno, Vademecum of Ascoli Piceno and Kulturando of Ancona.

How long does the project last. “Included. From school to life, there and back” is a three-year project selected by “With the children” in the context of Fund to combat child educational povertywhich involves 52 organizations from the Third sector (led by the Consolida Consortium of Trento) as well as schools and institutions from 5 regions (Campania, Lazio, Marche, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige) committed to promoting a school and a territory that is fair and accessible to all. The project continues until June 2024.