ECO - Community Education: in Palma di Montechiaro the return event of the Workshops on the Theory of Change

On 9 May, the Giovanni Falcone Public Library in Palma di Montechiaro (AG) hosted the return event of the workshops dedicated to the Theory of Change, held on 27 and 28 February. The initiative, promoted by the Agrigento and Trapani Community Foundation in collaboration with Christian Elevati, founder of Mapping Change and expert in participatory planning, is an integral part of the **ECO - Community Education** project, selected by Con I Bambini to fight child educational poverty. The project aims to build inclusive and generative educational communities in the territories of Palma di Montechiaro and Favara.

The event was an opportunity for sharing and dialogue between different local actors, including students, teachers, cultural associations, scout groups, voluntary organisations, representatives of church communities and municipal administrations. During the meetings, crucial issues related to the education of young people and the daily challenges of the educating community in Palma di Montechiaro were addressed.

The diverse participation enriched the discussion, stimulating the creation of concrete ideas and new forms of collaboration to improve the educational landscape in Palma di Montechiaro. At the beginning of the event, a summary of the previous workshop days held in February was presented, reminding participants of the work done and the 'macro changes' identified:

1. Schools, universities, companies and the territory offer quality educational and professional orientation paths.
2. The territory offers opportunities for the cultural, sporting and social growth of young people, with free or subsidised access.
3. Families invest quality time and resources in their children's education.
4. Citizens of all ages actively participate in initiatives that promote quality growth opportunities for young people, directly or through local associations.
5. They care for, enhance and redevelop public and common spaces, protecting them from environmental degradation and vandalism.

Subsequently, the participants discussed the 'big changes' and the basic conditions for achieving their goals. During this phase, the focus was on ongoing activities that can help realise the community's dreams in the short term. This work helped the Palma di Montechiaro community to discover that many of the actions needed for change are already present in local social life.

The event represented an important step towards the creation of an inclusive and innovative educational community in Palma di Montechiaro, highlighting the crucial importance of collaboration and participation of all local actors. It also provided the participants with the necessary tools to continue this work. The next step will be to develop together the Community Educational Pact.