Conference Program

This abstract builds on the study “Terra di Futuro. Tra i sogni e i bisogni delle studentesse e degli studenti della provincia di Agrigento”, which aims to understand how younger generations perceive Sicily: their place of origin, yet one marked by a lack of opportunities. The research was developed within the Ma.Dre project (Mapping Dreams to Safeguard Students’ Choices) of the “Giuseppe Gatì” Study Centre, which seeks to map the expectations, ambitions, and factors shaping upper secondary students’ educational and career choices, in order to read the island’s future through their eyes.

Launched in 2024, the study involves 1,363 students (aged 14–19) from six “partner” schools in the province of Agrigento, using an anonymous questionnaire with 24 closed- and open-ended questions and a mixed-methods design: statistical analysis for structured responses and thematic analysis for the written texts. The broader context is a region affected by depopulation, territorial inequalities, and fragile public services, where the idea of restanza (choosing to stay) is framed as an active and transformative choice rather than resignation.

Findings reveal a widely shared sense of disadvantage: nearly four in five respondents believe there are fewer opportunities in Sicily than in other Italian regions or abroad; only a very small minority think the opposite. Quality of life is also often imagined as better elsewhere, although a significant group values climate, the sea, relationships, and a sense of belonging. After completing upper secondary school, most students wish to continue studying; however, only a small share expect to remain in their own town, while many envision moving within or outside the island, and a substantial proportion remain uncertain. Here, the future enters as a central protagonist: the higher the school grade, the more critical—and less optimistic—the outlook tends to become.

Across the data, three key issues emerge: inequalities (including gender inequalities), perceptions of “civility”/development, and the central role of climate and environment in shaping choices. Overall, the report advocates for a public use of data: not to add yet another “Greek lament” (even if with charts), but to mobilize schools, institutions, and communities to build real conditions so that staying becomes a genuine possibility, not an act of faith.