The service, presented today at IIS G.L. Lagrange in the presence of Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala, Welfare Councillor Lamberto Bertolé, and UniCredit Foundation’s General Manager Silvia Cappellini, will be co-designed by the Municipality of Milan and ten Third Sector organizations. These organizations will provide professionals who, starting this month, will work within schools to identify needs and priorities together with the school community for the implementation of the desks’ activities.
“Building a proximity-based welfare system that guarantees listening and opportunities for social interaction close to people and the places they frequent daily means providing more effective and timely responses to needs,” said Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala. “When it comes to adolescents, it’s not enough to intervene in emergencies; we need tools for prevention and early detection of distress. Schools are a crucial hub in this model, and today, with WeMi Scuola, we add an important piece.”
“With WeMi Scuola,” said Andrea Orcel, CEO of UniCredit and President of UniCredit Foundation, “we continue our mission to invest in young people and their education. We believe social inclusion starts at school: that’s why we provide resources, expertise, and commitment to create spaces where young people feel heard, supported, and valued. This is a project about the future and community—two words that for us mean responsibility.”
Ten schools are involved, at least one in each district, for a total of over 12,000 students potentially impacted: IPSCT Cavalieri-Marignoni, IIS Caterina da Siena, IIS Maxwell, IIS Oriani-Mazzini, IIS Kandinsky, IIS Galilei-Luxemburg, IIS Frisi, IIS Lagrange, CAPAC, and GALDUS vocational school. In agreement with each secondary school, about 20 desks will be activated, with the possibility of multiple points in schools with several campuses.
These will be spaces for listening and social support, managed by specialized professionals, aimed at early detection of distress, supporting students’ educational and personal growth, and guiding school staff and families toward local services. Each desk will also have a dedicated budget—nearly €500,000 in total—for developing shared activities inside and outside the school, based on students’ needs and in collaboration with teachers: from sports and theater or music workshops to local discovery paths, volunteering opportunities, after-school programs, and targeted initiatives addressing specific challenges in each school context.
The initiative builds on the experience of the WeMi system, a network of proximity desks active in Milan’s districts since 2017, now with a focus on school communities and adolescents to strengthen educational pathways, prevent vulnerability, and promote inclusive and participatory growth environments. The WeMi system currently includes 25 active spaces across the nine districts: 20 located in neighborhood centers and the rest in facilities provided by Third Sector partners. These will now be joined by WeMi Scuola spaces, dedicated to reinforcing the link between education and inclusion, offering students, school staff, and families a new tool for proximity and prevention. Third Sector partners include: Fondazione Somaschi Onlus, Comin Cooperativa Sociale, Cascina Biblioteca, La Strada, Lo Scrigno, Spazio Aperto Servizi, Azione Solidale, Sociosfera Onlus, Consorzio Sir, Itinerari Paralleli Impresa Sociale, ON Impresa Sociale, and Ciessevi Milano.