Juvenile Crime, Educational Disadvantage, and School Dropout: Insights from a Mediterranean Geopedagogical Perspective in the I.C.A.R.U.S. Project

The phenomenon of juvenile crime, as highlighted by several highly qualified studies, represents a significant issue within the territory of the Italian Republic. To address it effectively, it is necessary to understand the structural factors that create this hardship and fuel marginalization, and to contain it through preventive and counteractive measures. The most effective approach to fostering virtuous educational ecosystems, aimed at promoting a more equitable and inclusive society, can be found in the geo-pedagogical networking model. By developing joint actions “inside and outside the school,” such networks not only facilitate the reintegration of youth who have abandoned their studies or are at high risk of dropout and social marginalization, but also function as privileged observatories of the condition of minors, supporting their guidance, development, and social transformation. Following this trail, the I.C.A.R.U.S. project, recognizing that only a renewed model of political, social, and cultural governance can meet the significant challenges of the present time, tried to address the issue of school dropout in Taranto and throughout the Ionian province, identifying the most appropriate pedagogical and didactic strategies to implement targeted interventions. The enthusiasm generated, as well as the highly positive feedback received, endorse a paradigm based on shared educational responsibility and the promotion of community welfare.