Apprendimento continuo e progettazione partecipativa per una strategia ecosistemica della coesione territoriale in Sud Salento

The impact of educational poverty and functional illiteracy on community life, emerges especially in marginalized areas at risk of demographic desertification. These challenges also have concerning consequences for the human and environmental heritage of such territories. Promoting lifelong learning in these contexts is complex, especially in the face of growing economic, social, and cultural inequalities. For pedagogical research to respond effectively, it is not enough to engage local stakeholders in good practices. Rather, it is necessary to co-develop, through a bottom-up approach, methodologies and tools that foster ongoing and consistent collaboration, integrating existing procedures and institutions with innovative methods based on listening to people’s needs. To support this perspective, the paper presents a case study focused on migrant minors in the southernmost part of Salento peninsula. This was made possible through sustained cooperation between schools and social services, facilitated by the local Third Sector in partnership with the university.