Civic Technologies in Futurama: Mapping and Community Economies

The Futurama project—selected by Con i Bambini within the framework of the Fund for Combating Educational Poverty in Minors and co-financed by Fondazione Cassa Depositi e Prestiti—is now in its second year, and the training courses for senior-year students at Istituto Sciascia e Bufalino in Erice (TP) and Istituto Odierna in Palma di Montechiaro (AG) are continuing. Among these, the course on civic technologies explores digital platforms developed by the interdisciplinary research group Territori e Comunità Digitali at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Turin.Through the community social network FirstLife, students discover how an interactive georeferenced platform, enriched with social network functionalities, can be used to create community maps that highlight the needs, potential, and challenges of their territories from their own perspective. With the blockchain-based “wallet app” CommonsHood, students explore how digital “tokens” can be used not only in speculative finance, as is often the case with cryptocurrencies, but also to represent and exchange various types of value within a “community circular micro-economy.” These economies focus on lending and reusing everyday objects, using tokens as an incentive.WHAT'S NEW IN THE SECOND YEARFor the second year of the project, direct classroom interventions by researchers from the University of Turin have been intensified, working alongside facilitators and tutors from the Fondazione Comunitaria di Agrigento e Trapani. During the first week of February 2025, mid-course sessions took place in the classrooms, playing a crucial role in the exploration and experimentation of the two platforms.FirstLifeThe two third-year classes engaged in mapping activities within edu.firstlife.org, identifying locations during a street photography walk in the cities of Trapani and Palma di Montechiaro. The students were guided in understanding how to use FirstLife and then participated in group discussions reflecting on the places they frequent in their free time, guided by key questions:

• How do I experience, traverse, or inhabit this place?
• What are my habits around this place?

These discussions revealed how different people experience the same spaces in varied ways, how some spaces remain underutilized, and how informal spaces—such as walls and benches—are crucial resources during free time.In a second session, students reflected on the needs that emerged and identified the most relevant ones:

• Regarding public structures and spaces in your city or neighborhood, what do you feel is missing?
• What would you like to improve?

Each class identified key themes and worked in groups to develop civic project proposals addressing these needs. The ideas that emerged were diverse—including a street artists’ festival, a sustainable fashion show, events to discover and try new sports, open-air film screenings, and themed walks in natural spaces. These activities underscored the importance of encouraging students to recognize their potential and interests, propose creative and feasible initiatives, and see underused or unknown spaces as opportunities for new youth-driven projects responding to emerging needs.CommonsHoodThe two fourth-year classes have started the creative phase of their course on civic applications of blockchain wallet apps. In this phase, they will design their own “library of objects” inspired by the Turin-based project COSO (Comunità Organizzata Scambio Oggetti), establishing shared values and rules, and suggesting modifications to the CommonsHood functionalities that support it.

Students analyzed the app’s various features and made requests for specific customizations to the UniTo design and development team. A broader systemic design exercise followed, introducing other CommonsHood functionalities and real-world applications, such as civic participation recognition or sustainable and local tourism promotion.

Students were then challenged to envision their own “community economy,” mapping interactions between key stakeholders, the values exchanged, and where the app’s functionalities could be integrated. The discussions touched on important topics such as the value of human relationships, recycling as an alternative to consumerism, and the consequences of not returning borrowed items. Differing and sometimes opposing views emerged, demonstrating strong decision-making engagement, analytical skills, and critical thinking.WHAT’S NEXT? STUDENTS TAKING THE LEADThe second part of these courses aims to answer these questions and further empower participants. The most intensive phase of the workshops is now beginning, leading up to the final event in mid-April. During this event, all four classes will have the opportunity to present their projects to fellow students, teachers, and representatives of the Fondazione Comunitaria di Agrigento e Trapani through a real idea competition: the “Futurama Civic Tech Challenge.”

If you want to keep up with the activities of the Futurama project, you can check out the project’s profile (link here), visit the project blog (link here), and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For participation or further information, contact Daniela Avanzato at d.avanzato@fcagrigentotrapani.it.

The Futurama project was selected by Con i Bambini within the framework of the Fund for Combating Educational Poverty in Minors and co-financed by Fondazione Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. The fund was established through an agreement between banking foundations represented by Acri, the National Third Sector Forum, and the Italian government. It supports initiatives aimed at removing economic, social, and cultural barriers that prevent minors from fully accessing educational opportunities. To implement the fund’s programs, in June 2016, the non-profit organization Con i Bambini was founded, fully owned by Fondazione CON IL SUD. *www.conibambini.org*