Centro Italiano Femminile - Cifvicopisano

description of organisation

The Italian Female’s Centre (CIF) of Vicopisano is a voluntary organization enrolled in regional register and credited by Tuscany Region as a Training Agency. CIF is a national organization with sections in 90 provinces and 500 municipalities in Italy. It is structured in city, province, regional and national CIF. Each CIF is autonomous and, at the same time, follow national general guidelines. http://www.cifnazionale.it/
CIF Vicopisano has organized afterschool activities for young people, formal and non-formal educational activities for adults and the elderly, meetings with experts and seminars as well as socializing activities for all ages, for over 20 years also thanks to the contribution of Italian Civil Service volunteers. It is made of volunteers, 13 of whom are active in the weekly activity management, and represents a fundamental reference point in Vicopisano. Our goals are developed with respect to: 1 Target groups 2 Civil Service volunteers, 3 Association.
1.a Concerning children and young people education our aims are to promote a positive use of leisure time, socialization and integration; prevent discomfort; take action on problems/learning difficulties at school age; support the educational path and school recovery together with exams and tests preparation
1.b Concerning non formal education for adults, we aim to achieve the right to lifelong learning, addressing the need of acquisition and updating of soft skills also through self-training processes
1.c Concerning the elderly our aim is to promote lifelong learning and active ageing through educational, cultural and socializing activities that strengthen seniors’ role in the society, reduce the risk of social exclusion and improve their well-being.
2. With regard to Italian Civil Service volunteers, we aim to provide young people with a training opportunity so to acquire relevant skills in job market as well as civic, social and cultural competences
3. Concerning the association, our aim is to implement a good number of high quality services also through the help of young volunteers.
Activities:
1- The afterschool program takes place every weekday afternoon from 14.30 to 19.00, involving an average of 22 children and young people aged 5-18 from primary, secondary and high schools. It is an open access service attended by those in need of a space for socialization and help with homework. They do their homework in an environment aiming at reinforce their abilities, autonomy in the study process, motivation to learn, self-esteem and mutual help alternating work and breaks to favour socialization and group dynamics.
2- During the summer summer camps take place, including both recreational activities and help with homework. As afterschool service, activities are managed dividing young people into groups according to their age and interests. Activities are based on a program which consists of recreational activities, workshops, sports, homework or other activities to do while sitting at the table and leisure time.
3- In the field of educational services for adults, CIF offers training opportunities on different topics in order to promote socialization and guarantee the acquisition of useful skills. In this context, the following activities are carried out:
a- Language workshops ​​(English, Spanish, French): structured or individual courses, 3 times per week for a total of 6 hours/week
b- Italian language workshops for foreigners: structured or individual classes for two hours/week
c- Language Cafè on Saturday afternoon: a friendly way to improve language skills without attending formal classes for two hours/week
d- Computer Literacy: Group lessons and access to CIF online platform with educational materials and video tutorials
e- Workshops on nutrition and lifestyle: on proper nutrition, eating disorders and obesity, tobacco use, alcohol abuse
f- Thematic meetings about the importance of doing sport activities: benefits for the elderly, music and sport activities, gymnastics memory.
4- In addition to them, CIF offers specialized courses held by external consultants and trainers as HACCP courses, fire prevention system, safety, first aid, self-propelled vehicles.
Moreover CIF implements courses on social policies, education and emerging issues, implementation of specific projects at the local level, but also projects such as European project "HIHTAST Hand in hand to a social tomorrow", financed by the Commission EU in 2012, the Grundtvig program, 2012-1- code BE3-GRU06-05804-5 ended in 2014.
5- At weekends and on particular celebrations, CIF Volunteers carry out socialization activities for the local population and for the elderly:
- Sunday Raffle/Tombola
- Afternoons for seniors
- Events (Halloween, Epiphany, Carnival, birthday parties)
- Alzheimer's Cafè, a project foreseeing meetings among patients with senile dementia, art therapy and workshops with family members/ people who take care of patients to provide help and share experiencie