Conference Program

This paper aims to present the initial findings of ongoing research within the ‘ChillOut’ project, run by ‘ForTeen’ (an educational and rehabilitation centre opened by the CADIAI social cooperative in Bologna, which has been operating since 2023).

ChillOut supports young people aged between 15 and 25, in transition from adolescence to adulthood. Institutionally, this involves moving from the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit (NPIA) to the Mental Health Centre (CSM); existentially, it involves moving from a state of psychological distress towards greater well-being: the service, indeed, is aimed at young adults in a state of vulnerability and psychological distress who are particularly at risk of developing forms of social withdrawal and school phobias, offering them a range of individualised and/or small-group educational activities led by educators and workshop leaders.

ChillOut is designed as an experiential space with a strong practical focus, enabling participants to engage in a ‘safe’ environment by developing their personal potential and fostering their interpersonal and social skills, thereby allowing them to experience a sense of ‘being able to do’ and ‘being able to be’.

The educational program views the process of recovery and rehabilitation as a process of individual emancipation and empowerment. The intervention works together with the individuals to improve their functional abilities, support them in regulating their behaviour, and help them develop or enhance latent skills, in order to achieve greater competences in managing their own actions and dealing with the complexities of their life circumstances, whilst increasing their awareness of their problem-solving and life planning abilities.

ChillOut also acts as an alternative unstructured school experience, for those who are unable to access traditional programs designed to prevent early school leaving.

This educational experience is conceived not only as a place to support studying, but also and above all as a space that evokes the Greek concept of scholè – free time, not performance time. It is a place of care, rest and inner regeneration, a moment of time away from the logic of productivity, in which it is possible both to refrain from judging personal results and to lower personal and social expectations regarding the ability to perform. This educational experience aims at supporting young adults in listening to themselves, understanding their inner states, and taking care of themselves and one another. As a matter of fact, ChillOut wants to facilitate and promote processes of active and horizontal learning, in which not only standard curricular knowledge but also the skills needed to interpret and make sense of one’s own social context are acquired through exchange and discussion.

The porpose of this theoretical and empirical research is not only the description of theoretical assumptions underpinning educational and rehabilitative practice, but also the outcomes' highlights of transformative education - both as rehabilitative practice and as opportunity to acquire the skills necessary for critical and active citizenship. This can bring sustainable changes, promote selfcare and reciprocity, and renew inclusive sensibility, focused on gender equality, and active in the defence and promotion of human rights.