COOPERATIVA DI COMUNITÀ "IDENTITÀ E BELLEZZA"

Sustainable tourism aims to minimise environmental impact, protect and enhance cultural and natural heritage and ensure lasting economic benefits for local communities. It is from these principles that the concept of community tourism was born, a participatory tourism approach that sees the local community as the main actor and beneficiary of the tourism sector. Tourism activities are thus conceived not as simple services, but as opportunities for exchange and mutual enrichment. Every visitor has the opportunity to discover the local heritage in a responsible and sustainable way, while contributing to the economic and social well-being of the community.

Territory

Sciacca (Agrigento)

Objective

The Cooperativa di Comunità "Identità e Bellezza", founded in 2020, is responsible for promoting the territory and enhancing its cultural, natural and human resources. The cooperative's main objective is to contribute to sustainable development and inclusive growth of the territory, actively involving the local community and putting the identity and beauty of Sciacca at the forefront.

Sciacca, known for its thermal baths, ceramics, port and rich history, is the ideal place to host a cooperative committed to keeping the city's cultural and natural heritage alive. The Cooperativa di Comunità "Identità e Bellezza" relies on the collaboration of inhabitants, associations, businesses and local institutions, who work together to create a more sustainable and welcoming environment for all.

Activities

The cooperative's main activities include:

Enhancement of cultural heritage: the cooperative is committed to preserving and promoting Sciacca's historical and artistic heritage, organising guided tours, exhibitions, workshops and other cultural initiatives.

Environmental protection: the cooperative promotes the safeguarding of the environment and natural resources through environmental education projects and the promotion of an eco-sustainable lifestyle.

Development of sustainable tourism: the cooperative works to promote responsible and sustainable tourism that respects the environment and local culture, offering quality tourist services and promoting the territory's food and wine traditions.

Social inclusion: the cooperative is committed to fostering social inclusion and active participation of disadvantaged people through training projects, job placement and support for the most vulnerable sections of the population.

Training and professional growth: the cooperative offers training and professional growth opportunities to its members and the community through courses, seminars and workshops on sustainability, art, culture and well-being.

The role of the Community Foundation

The Community Foundation supported the project "Diffuse Infopoint: a city that welcomes" which was part of the "Ripartenze Inclusive" crowdfunding programme, the call that selected community projects. Thanks to the collaboration with the ForFunding platform of Intesa Sanpaolo, the Third Sector organisations selected together with the Community Foundation launched a community crowdfunding campaign. Upon reaching 30% of the amount needed to implement the project, the Community Foundation co-funded the project with the remaining 70%.

Impact

Setup of infopoints, all equipped with a multilingual simultaneous translator, a series of georeferenced audioguides and a braille map to discover the territory, its narrative power, its memory, its identity, its beauty. Without any linguistic or sensory barriers.

Social Innovation

DEDALO

Our goal is to counter educational poverty and early school leaving among children aged 5 to 10, offering empowerment opportunities through an innovative, creative and replicable educational process, in collaboration with the community and the territory with a view to urban regeneration.

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Cultural Regeneration

ALICE STEM

ALICE STEM aims to inspire and guide 500 high school students in the city and province of Palermo and in the province of Agrigento towards STEM careers, with particular attention to electronic engineering. The project seeks to overcome gender and territorial barriers through innovative methods, interconnected technology laboratories and an inclusive and competent educational network. Thanks to a strategic alliance between schools, universities and guidance and innovation centres, ALICE offers personalised counselling, transdisciplinary learning experiences and advanced tools to support young people in building their professional future.

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Environmental Protection

STIV

The project aims to promote a sustainable management of European agricultural resources, placing viticulture as a driving sector in the ecological transition. Through the use of artificial intelligence and innovative digital tools, the initiative intends to provide new skills to agricultural professionals and improve the training offer in vocational education and training (VET). With a collaborative approach between European institutions, agricultural producers and educators, the project seeks to strengthen the European network in viticulture, increase individual competitiveness and ensure an inclusive and sustainable transition towards new models of agroecological management.

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Economic Development