Strengthening After-School Support to Reduce Dropout Rates in Scampia, One of Italy’s Most Vulnerable Neighborhoods
In Scampia, a neighborhood located on the northern outskirts of Naples, the school dropout rate remains among the highest in Italy. Families live in contexts marked by poverty, unstable employment, and precarious housing conditions. Many children grow up without stable educational role models and spend most of their time on the streets, which increases their vulnerability and the likelihood of entering informal or criminal networks. Ensuring the right to education is therefore an urgent priority to prevent social exclusion and youth delinquency.
The “I Stay at School” project was launched within the educational community of CasArcobaleno, founded by the De La Salle Brothers. Since 2020, the center has offered a free after-school program for primary school students, which was extended in 2022 to include lower secondary education.
With the support of Fondazione San Zeno, this new phase of the project aims to reach more children and strengthen the impact of CasArcobaleno’s educational mission. The initiative seeks to consolidate and expand its services through the hiring of additional staff, the extension of weekly activities, and the integration of academic support, recreational programs, and closer collaboration with families.
The project’s general objective is to prevent school dropout and promote social inclusion among children and adolescents in vulnerable contexts by ensuring continuous and high-quality educational support.
- To achieve this, the initiative focuses on providing consistent academic assistance that encourages school retention and improves overall performance;
- preventing early signs of dropout through timely interventions with students and their families;
- strengthening the collaboration between schools, families, and the wider community to create a shared and participatory educational environment;
- and promoting social inclusion and civic participation by offering safe, engaging spaces for personal, emotional, and social development.
In its next phase, the project will reinforce after-school support by extending activities from three to four afternoons per week and incorporating a pedagogical coordinator and an additional educator, reaching 45 students during the 2025–2026 school year.
It will also continue and expand its creative, theatrical, sports, and expressive workshops aimed at enhancing self-esteem, critical thinking, emotional management, and social skills—activities that complement academic work while fostering creativity, teamwork, and a sense of community.
Furthermore, the project will intensify mentoring and monitoring for students at risk of dropping out, maintaining close collaboration with teachers and school leaders to follow attendance, performance, and well-being. Training sessions and listening spaces for families will also be offered to strengthen their educational role and reinforce the school–family connection.
Through these coordinated actions, “I Stay at School” delivers a comprehensive and sustainable response to the challenge of school dropout in Scampia, reaffirming that education can rebuild the social fabric and open real opportunities for a better future.
“I Stay at School” is the result of a partnership between Cooperativa OcchiAperti, La Salle Foundation, and Fondazione San Zeno. CasArcobaleno is part of the international La Salle educational network, committed to promoting inclusive, transformative education in vulnerable contexts around the world.
