Conference Program

Over recent decades, many rural and inner areas of Southern Europe (San-Martín and Vaya, 2024), and particularly of Southern Italy (Pugliese, 2002), have been affected by progressive depopulation and what has been described as anthropological desertification. Despite its profound impact, this phenomenon has remained largely marginal in public debate, often overshadowed by media and political attention focused primarily on incoming migration flows and securitized border management. Yet, a closer look at regional dynamics reveals a significant hemorrhage: a continuous and systemic outflow of young people toward the more developed areas of the Global North. This process deprives local territories of their youngest, most educated, and potentially innovative population.

Southern Italy represents an emblematic example of this crisis. According to the 2024 SVIMEZ Report, approximately 200,000 university graduates left the South over the past decade in search of better opportunities in Central and Northern Italy. Despite territorial rebalancing initiatives, such as the National Strategy for Inner Areas, public policies appear largely incapable of counteracting a trend that has become increasingly structural and deeply rooted.

Alongside this critical scenario, however, recent ethnographic research conducted in Sicily within the project A European Desert? has highlighted a countervailing phenomenon: a growing number of young people consciously choose to remain in their places of origin. This choice does not amount to passive resistance but rather takes the form of active political and cultural engagement. Such practices resonate with the concept of Restanza, developed by anthropologist Vito Teti (2011, 2024). Restanza does not imply renouncing the future; instead, it represents a way of building it by anchoring it in the present and in sites of memory. It constitutes a generative and resilient response to experiences of marginality.

The “right to remain$” thus entails the creation of concrete conditions that make it genuinely possible to choose to live and build one’s future in one’s place of origin. This perspective does not moralize the decision to leave or remain but rather claims a form of real freedom: the ability to leave or return without being driven by economic necessity or a lack of alternatives. From this viewpoint, the right to mobility must be accompanied by a right to rootedness.

Experiences of restanza in Sicily reveal young people engaged in cultural, agricultural, artistic, and cooperative projects that combine tradition and innovation. Through these practices, an “alternative modernity” emerges, challenging symbolic hierarchies between North and South. The Mediterranean, often conceived as a margin or borderland, is thus reconfigured as a vibrant political and cultural space in which categories such as belonging, development, and marginality are profoundly renegotiated. Far from being an inert area, Southern Italy appears as a laboratory for new forms of modernity grounded in care, creativity, and permanence.

This contribution takes La grande fabbrica delle parole by de Lestrade as a theoretical device through which to interrogate the relationship between language, cultural poverty, and educational equity within the context of shared reading aloud. In the world depicted in the story, words have a price and are unequally distributed: language appears as a scarce resource, regulated by procedures that govern access to and use of it (Foucault, 1999; Foucault, 2020a). Poverty does not coincide with silence, but with the reduction of the symbolic repertoire and with the impossibility of participating in a space of speech (Giancola & Salmieri, 2024; Finetti, 2024).

On this basis, reading aloud is examined as a practice capable of intervening in linguistic inequalities when conceived dialogically (Pera et al., 2023; Salvato, 2024). Equity does not depend on exposure to words, nor on a quantitative expansion of vocabulary, but on the possibility of suspending, temporarily, the logics that administer their circulation (Biesta, 2023). Within this perspective, inequalities operate not only at a material level, but through regimes of representation that render them intelligible and acceptable within a historical episteme (Foucault, 2020a; Foucault, 1999); access to shared words does not abolish inequalities, yet it enables them to be named, to be withdrawn from processes of naturalization, and to be rearticulated in new forms (Dewey, 1992). Shared reading thus institutes a scene in which words can be taken up again, questioned, and transformed, and in which participants are recognized as legitimate interlocutors (Rosati, 2022).

The theoretical framework, developed in dialogue with Foucault, rests on a conception of language as a dispositif of power and subjectivation, where discourse is understood as a regulated practice that produces effects of truth and shapes what can be said, thought, and acknowledged as valid (Foucault, 1999; Foucault, 2020b; Foucault, 2014). Cultural poverty can therefore be reread as an effect of discursive regimes that delimit access to speech and its legitimacy (Finetti, 2024; Giancola & Salmieri, 2024).

The reference to Biesta clarifies the pedagogical implications of this analysis. Biesta criticizes the reduction of education to a measurable process defined in terms of learning outcomes and performance, proposing instead that education be conceived as a space of subjectification in which the subject may emerge not as a programmed result but as an unpredictable event (Biesta, 2023). In this framework, shared reading is not valued for its quantifiable effects on linguistic development; rather, it is understood as a practice that interrupts dispositifs of measurement and economies of performance, opening a space in which speech may circulate without being immediately translated into competence (Biesta, 2023; Illouz, 2024).

Reading aloud thus acquires a specific political valence, calling into question the discursive conditions that determine who may speak and with what authority (Foucault, 2020b; Foucault, 2019). The shared experience of the text becomes a laboratory in which access to language intertwines with the possibility of redefining what counts as common experience, rendering speech not merely an instrument of communication, but a site of democratic transformation (Dewey, 1992; Rein, 2025).

This contribution explores the role of the body in teacher education within a perspective oriented toward the construction of a democratic school. (Biesta, 2023). Embodiment is conceived not merely as a functional or technical dimension, but as an epistemological, relational, and ethical device capable of redefining teaching and learning processes. (Csordas, 1994). Building upon the paradigm of embodiment, this work recognizes it as the very foundation of the cognitive experience. In this perspective, learning is not a purely abstract process but an event rooted in action and sensory perception, where the body acts as a dynamic interface between the self and the world (Stolz, 2015; Varela, Thompson, Rosch, 1991).

Starting from a Foucauldian perspective, the organization of space and time within the institutional contexts often force both students and teachers to behave in a stereotypical, mechanical and impersonal ways, using the body as a vehicle of surveillance and punishment rather than as a tool of trasformation, awareness, and spiritual growth. (Foucault, 1975). In contrast to this vision, several prestigious pedagogists of the past such as Paulo Freire (1970;1996) and bel Hooks (1994) suggest an alternative approach, based on the intrisic nature of the body to exercise its ‘voice’. Free movement, gesture, and mimicry enable the person to become an individual, an active participant in society, possessing agency and empowerment.

Indeed, the relationship between embodiment and movement reveals profound symbolic and relational dimensions. In formative practices, the body and movement can become a tool for building self-awareness, cultivating the ability to reflect, inhabiting the world, and developing complex expressive abilities. (Mezirow, 2016). In this sense, the teaching-learning process is a transformative pathway in which movement functions as a catalyst for a disorienting dilemma.By engaging in non-habitual motor patterns, the individual dismantles rigid meaning schemes, triggering a process of embodied critical reflection that makes pedagogical transformation more profound and visceral.

Specifically, this paper focuses on body percussion and dance movement therapy as multimodal devices capable of combining visual, tactile, verbal, and kinesthetic aspects. (Danzì, 2023) These practices foster an embodied exploration of personal, relational, and physical space (Mignosi, 2017, 2019; Gamelli, 2011) according to an holistic vision of the individual. The research presented aims to demonstrate, how through body practice, educational processes become tools of trasformation, enabling individuals to flourish and manifest their potential as active and engaged citizens.

We are living in a historical period of profound transformations, and educational institutions cannot ignore this scenario, given their responsibility to educate and train competent students capable of facing the emerging challenges that demand problem-solving and critical analysis skills. There is an urgent need to innovate teaching practices rather than focusing exclusively on the acquisition of content that is “already established and provides the basis for understanding a certain sector or subject” (Gazzetta Ufficiale dell’Unione Europea, 2018, p. 7). Instead, it is essential to design learning pathways that foster the development of competences “to act or react to ideas, people or situations” (Ibidem). According to Fiorella & Mayer (2015), generative learning is an activity in which students actively seek to make sense of the material presented by engaging in cognitive processes such as selecting, organizing, and integrating, along with the following strategies: summarizing, mapping, drawing, imagining, self-testing, self-explaining, enacting, and teaching. Studies that examined students who prepared to explain material to others highlighted that those who prepared for teaching (without actually teaching) achieved better results than those who prepared for an immediate comprehension test, regardless of the lesson format (Fiorella & Mayer, 2014, 2013). This underscores the necessity of rethinking the teaching-learning process (Lave & Wenger, 1991), giving rise to new perspectives, particularly that of situated learning, which allows the learning experience to intertwine with the construction of plural forms of thought (Cappuccio & Maniscalco, 2020). Improving teaching practice will enhance the students' learning process and, consequently, the expected outcomes (Hunde & Tacconi, 2018). Participatory and workshop-based methodologies allow for the reproduction of “experiences similar to those of the real world in a protected and controlled environment, offering students the opportunity to act and learn from the consequences of their actions” (Bonaiuti, 2014, p. 72).Generative methodologies transform the learning environment into a true laboratory of democracy, promoting the development of critical and collaborative thinking “to support students in constructing their own professional identity through the development of soft skills” (Tore, 2024, p. 133). These methodologies activate processes of thought and action, giving rise to dynamic and contextualized knowledge where theoretical and operational dimensions intersect, dimensions that are necessary to promote change through innovative approaches (Castoldi, 2024). Knowledge is not encapsulated within disciplines but “moves from real contexts and returns to them, in a recursive relationship between experience and knowledge, theory and practice” (Castoldi, 2020, p. 42); this can only be achieved through constructive, socio-cultural, and situated learning (Ivi, p. 32). In this perspective, through cognitive elaboration, individuals engage in thinking processes that enable them to become active and aware of their role in daily life, and to experiment with and embrace innovation. Generative methodologies are capable of making people aware and capable of participating in democratic and social life “in order to promote social cohesion, inclusion, and active citizenship” (Tore, 2024, pp. 131-132), rendering education a social and civic experience.

As teachers of mathematics, science, and technology in a lower secondary school in Salento, we
often ask ourselves what makes a school truly democratic. Does science education belong only in
textbooks, or can it become a shared language for an entire community?
In our school, we developed Scicafè, a project born from the need to connect formal learning with
the social and cultural life of our local area. Its core idea is simple yet transformative: students
move beyond the role of passive learners and become active organisers of scientific dialogue. Each
year, about 80 students in the final year of lower secondary school take part in planning and
carrying out a public event involving scientists, experts, families, local institutions, associations,
and citizens. They help contact guests, manage communication, define the budget, contribute to the
organisation of the event, and take part in the public dialogue.
What makes Scicafè especially meaningful is that it turns the school into a community hub: not just
a place where knowledge is transmitted, but a civic and relational space where learning is built
through responsibility, participation, and encounter. Science is no longer experienced only as a
school subject, but as a shared cultural practice connected to everyday life, local identity, and public
discussion.
Some episodes have shown us particularly clearly the human and educational value of this
experience. Nobel Prize winner Giorgio Parisi joined our students not only in scientific dialogue,
but also in a moment of cultural exchange that led him to approach pizzica, the traditional Salento
dance. That encounter later inspired the creation of a local orchestra dedicated to him, involving
students, teachers, former students, and members of the community. In another edition, Federica
Draghi shared the story of how, during lower secondary school, a science activity helped her
recognise the path she wanted to follow. For our students, moments like these make science more
accessible, more human, and more closely connected to life choices and aspirations.

From a pedagogical perspective, the project shifts the focus from simply teaching science to
fostering student agency. Students are entrusted with real tasks and responsibilities, and the
interdisciplinary nature of the project creates inclusive conditions in which each student can find a
meaningful role. School-based documentation and assessment practices suggest a progressive
strengthening of students’ organisational skills, social interaction, and ability to engage with the
local context.
In conclusion, Scicafè represents a meaningful example of an open and community-based school
experience. By turning science into a catalyst for dialogue and social cohesion, it shows how a
democratic learning ecosystem can help younger generations navigate complexity with critical
thinking, participation, and a stronger sense of belonging.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development identifies the realization of all children’s rights and the inclusion of those furthest behind as essential prerequisites for sustainable progress worldwide (United Nations, 2015). Against this backdrop, education is increasingly called upon to contribute not only to knowledge acquisition but also to children’s empowerment, participation, and capacity to engage with societal challenges. The planned presentation introduces the research project STEPS, which addresses issues of sustainability through an innovative, child-centred approach. Rather than treating sustainability as an abstract or exclusively normative concept, STEPS seeks to approach it from the perspectives and lived experiences of primary school children. In doing so, the project not only gives children a voice but explicitly aims to enable experiences of self-efficacy and agency – key foundations for meaningful participation in democratic school communities..

The theoretical framework integrates Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the body (1945/2005) and Bernhard Waldenfels’ responsive phenomenology (2006; 2010), both of which emphasize lived experience, perception, and relationality as central to meaning-making processes. In addition, STEPS is grounded in the paradigm of Childhood Studies (Clark & Moss, 2001; 2005; Schütz & Böhm, 2021), which conceptualizes children as competent social actors, rights-holders (Butschi & Heddrich, 2021; Clark & Moss, 2005) and experts of their own lifeworlds (Langsted, 1994).

Building on these assumptions, the presentation outlines the project’s methodological approach, which seeks to establish strong connections to children’s lifeworld (Lebenswelt) and social realities (El-Mafaalani, 2021). This focus aims to address the well-documented gap between pro-sustainability attitudes and actual behaviour, which persists even when individuals endorse sustainability goals but struggle to translate them into concrete action (Ajzen, 1991; Stern, 2000). Methodologically, STEPS follows a Participatory Social Justice Mixed-Methods design (quan + QUAL; Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). The qualitative strand is informed by the Mosaic Approach (Clark & Moss, 2001; 2005) to access children’s perspectives through participatory, flexible, and inclusive methods sensitive to diverse experiences. (Clark & Moss, 2001, p. 5; Schütz & Böhm, 2021) The quantitative strand – central to the planned presentation – examines individual differences in children’s values and their relationship to pro-environmental behavior.. Grounded in the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory of environmental behavior (Stern, 2000), the study conceptualizes children’s environmental orientations as multidimensional psychological resources that may support early forms of civic engagement. While substantial empirical evidence links values and sustainable behavior in adulthood (e.g., Steg, 2016; Bouman & Steg, 2020; Wang et al., 2021; Jacobs et al., 2018), research in childhood remains limited. The project therefore investigates associations between children’s values (PBVS-C; Döring et al., 2010) and environmental orientations, including emotional affinity toward nature (CEPS; Larson et al., 2011), nature connectedness (NCI; Richardson et al., 2019), and self-reported pro-environmental behavior (PEB; Collado & Corraliza, 2015).

By examining the relationships between sustainability-related values and children’s environmental orientations, STEPS seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the foundations of sustainable behavior in childhood. The planned presentation will report on the results of the pilot questionnaire testing and discuss their implications for the final refinement of the instrument.

The Rita Borsellino school in Palermo has cultivated a collaborative relationship with the surrounding area for almost twenty years. From 2007 until today, many participatory planning and urban regeneration paths have been created. From anonymous space to shared space, from individuality to collectivity, from aggression to maieutics. By collaborating with stakeholders, the school took charge of the needs of pupils, families and the neighbourhood, through shared medium and long-term choices and actions of belonging: the Children's and Mothers' Museum (2007/09), the redevelopment of the football field and the creation of the playground (2016/17), the creation of the playground (2019/20), the pedestrianisation of "Via Libera" (2024); the creation of LipDub (2024), the referendum on the school apron (2025).The school, among the planning methods, is also able to include educational spaces among the variables subject to educational planning, together with contents, teaching strategies, supports and educational tools. After all, making art implies leaving signs and, more precisely, signs of community:

https://addiopizzo.org/attivita/consumo-critico/investimento-colletivo/anche-il-comune-firma-il-patto-per-il-territorio-stazione-magione-kalsa/;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n0RJNYgmRCJUYOoaQlSucJMY3RwyJxR0/view

https://www.giornalelora.it/patto-per-il-territorio-stazione-magione-kalsa-orlando-e-mattina-recuperiamo-lorgoglio-di-appartenere-a-questo-territorio/https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=referendum+grembiule+ritaborsellino+palermo&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ObyhiGLiNyhq7N4uvmvoBCQ2t32f9NEY/view?usp=drivesdk

https://altreconomia.it/prodotto/214/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXRsem1i7-c

https://www.forumdisuguaglianzediversita.org/presentazione-del-rapporto-di-ricerca-patti- educativi-territoriali-e-percorsi-abilitanti-unindagine-esplorativa

Transformative Education (TE), as articulated under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, aims to enable students to align knowledge, values and practices with socio-ecological sustainability and global justice. However, in the context of an accelerated climate collapse and a persistent "permacrisis", approaches to sustainability education still appear to be too minority. In a context of increasing precariousness, education professionals may find themselves working with young people who may increasingly take radical positions towards the issues of social, political and climate crises (Merzagora et al., 2024). Starting from this, this contribution intends to propose counter-narrative devices to promote transformative education interventions.

In a research experience carried out in 2024 in an attempt to explore the experiences of activists, semi-structured interviews (no. 26) were conducted with people who participate in political life, in activism and association realities. The central theme of interest was to bring to the surface beliefs and opinions about the repertoires of radical actions and civil disobedience within climate movement. From the analysis of the data, different perspectives of meaning emerged (Mezirow, 2003; Fabbri and Melacarne, 2023). One argues that environmental protection must take place through democratic tools such as laws, awareness campaigns and political pressure. The second believes that the methods of the first are not effective enough and therefore implements awareness campaigns, demonstrations in squares, flash mobs. The third, on the other hand, driven by the sense of urgency of the climate crisis, uses direct actions and a strong break with existing rules, arguing that blockades, occupations and civil disobedience can attract attention and force institutions to act more quickly.

How can we work in an educational key to ensure that these perspectives do not lose permeability and become exclusive over time and a limit to rational dialectics?

A viable way forward is to build counter-narratives from the bottom up (RAN, 2015; Schlegel, 2022). An example is the comic book Davide, created by Dante Caramellino and Claudio Melacarne of the University of Siena, which uses graphic storytelling as an educational tool to encourage dialogue and critical reflection. The comic tells the story of Davide, a high school boy who ends up approaching an extreme group. During a violent racist attack on a club frequented by black people, Davide realizes that he is on the wrong side of the story, stops his "companions" and decides to narrate himself independently, becoming the protagonist and not a secondary character.

Counter-narratives, when they are built from bottom-up stories, can encourage the creation of spaces for dialogue and reflection. In this way, it is possible to develop educational methods and approaches that avoid increasing polarization, that know how to welcome contradictions and offer a more realistic vision of reality, made up of complexities and solutions to be negotiated and reconsidered continuously (Melacarne, 2021).