UniCredit Foundation

CRESM has worked for decades to promote local development and social inclusion in vulnerable areas across the Mediterranean.

Active in both rural and urban contexts, the social cooperative supports local communities, young people, migrants, the unemployed, and other vulnerable groups by promoting community regeneration, sustainable entrepreneurship, and tackling educational poverty.

In 2021, CRESM established the “Nuove Officine Zisa – NOZ” centre at the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Palermo—a multifunctional space equipped with digital carpentry workshops, 3D printing, and a library, aimed at schools, universities, and local businesses. Located in one of Palermo’s most deprived districts, NOZ is a daily hub of support against school dropout.

CRESM’s model integrates education, inclusion, and community regeneration through a connected and holistic approach.

Its activities span five key areas: youth, through in- and out-of-school programmes that promote social engagement and prevent violence and exclusion; immigration and Inclusion, with over twenty years of experience in migrant integration; Community regeneration, rooted in post-earthquake recovery work since the Belice and Irpinia earthquakes; rural development, supporting partnership-building across southern Italy since the 1990s; and social mediation and victim support, including listening desks and involvement in international networks.

Across all areas, CRESM fosters creativity, resilience, and active participation in local contexts.

CRESM has worked for decades to promote local development and social inclusion in vulnerable areas across the Mediterranean.

Active in both rural and urban contexts, the social cooperative supports local communities, young people, migrants, the unemployed, and other vulnerable groups by promoting community regeneration, sustainable entrepreneurship, and tackling educational poverty.

In 2021, CRESM established the “Nuove Officine Zisa – NOZ” centre at the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Palermo—a multifunctional space equipped with digital carpentry workshops, 3D printing, and a library, aimed at schools, universities, and local businesses. Located in one of Palermo’s most deprived districts, NOZ is a daily hub of support against school dropout.

CRESM’s model integrates education, inclusion, and community regeneration through a connected and holistic approach.

Its activities span five key areas: youth, through in- and out-of-school programmes that promote social engagement and prevent violence and exclusion; immigration and Inclusion, with over twenty years of experience in migrant integration; Community regeneration, rooted in post-earthquake recovery work since the Belice and Irpinia earthquakes; rural development, supporting partnership-building across southern Italy since the 1990s; and social mediation and victim support, including listening desks and involvement in international networks.

Across all areas, CRESM fosters creativity, resilience, and active participation in local contexts.

Coordinated by CRESM in partnership with Palma Nana, ETS Forme, and Sequenze e Frequenze, the initiative supports young people aged 11 to 19 at risk of dropping out of school - many of whom come from migrant backgrounds or face socio-economic hardship.

The programme combines formal and non-formal education to strengthen technical and soft skills, with a focus on STEAM education, sustainable entrepreneurship, and critical digital citizenship.

Activities include digital manufacturing workshops, sound technology labs, food sustainability education, environmental awareness, and outdoor learning to rediscover and protect the local area.

Sessions take place during school hours, after school, and in the summer, at participating schools, green spaces, partner centres, and the NOZ facility, a 1,200 m² space equipped for digital craftwork. The project builds a Territorial Educational Pact, fostering cooperation between schools, families, and community actors.

It also includes accredited training for teachers (recognised by the Ministry of Education and Merit) and provides guidance and tutoring to support students’ educational and career pathways.

Rooted in Palermo’s diverse social and cultural context, the programme takes a participatory, restorative, and interdisciplinary approach to tackling systemic inequality -aligning with the Foundation’s goals to reduce school dropout rates and boost youth employability, while encouraging engagement with higher education.