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The Salesians for Social network has launched several projects across Italy to support learning for children and adolescents. These efforts aim to address educational poverty, which affects more than one million minors in the country.

Francesco Preite, the national president of the network, stated that educational poverty is a structural issue in Italian society rather than an emergency. He noted that school dropout rates exceed 14% in southern Italy. Preite said the national fund to combat educational poverty must be refinanced and that systematic policies are needed to strengthen social and educational services for youth in difficulty.

Elio Cesari, president of the Centro Nazionale Opere Salesiane (CNOS), said educators, social workers, and psychologists are working with families and schools to build environments based on trust and personal accompaniment. Following the preventive system of Don Bosco, these projects help children and young people develop skills and pursue their aspirations through study and creativity.