Scuola di restanza VdA, empowering young generations in mountain areas

Scuola di #Restanza VdA was an advanced residential training initiative for young people from the Aosta Valley aged 19 to 29, funded by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Education System and Intergenerational Relations Policies of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley under the VdA Giovani 2025 call for proposals.

Promoted by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, with the scientific support of Professor Andrea Membretti (University of the Aosta Valley), the project helped transform the choice to remain in mountain areas into a conscious, creative and entrepreneurial path.

Held on 11 and 12 April 2026 in the Lys Valley, the programme engaged 10 participants in an immersive weekend between Pont-Saint-Martin and Fontainemore. The agenda combined training sessions and workshops hosted at the Pépinières d'Entreprises – the business incubators of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley managed by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini – with inspirational visits to local social and productive initiatives.

Through exchanges with experts and hands-on field activities, participants developed transversal competences and life skills needed to design and pursue life and career projects in contemporary mountain territories.

Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini coordinated the project throughout all its phases, from participant selection to community engagement activities, further strengthening its role as a facilitator between younger generations and the regional innovation ecosystem, with the aim of addressing depopulation in inland and mountain areas.

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