The PROXIMO project aims to strengthen the capacity of local communities to develop effective proximity relationships, considered a key element in building integrated services for young people who are vulnerable or at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training).

Through the comparison of national and international experiences, the project aims to define and test innovative approaches in the context of Milan's Municipality 7, initiating a shared reflection on the challenges associated with engaging young people who are most difficult to reach.

The main objective of the project is not to directly activate new services, but to facilitate a network of collaboration between public bodies, third sector organisations and local stakeholders, in order to identify more effective strategies for involving NEETs and improving the response of existing services.

PROXIMO is divided into four main phases, structured into four Work Packages (WP):

• WP1 – Understanding the context
  Preliminary research activity aimed at exploring – through literature analysis and interviews – the characteristics of NEETs and the actions already in place in the Milan area.
• WP2 – Initiating discussion
  Organisation of working groups with project partners to discuss current practices and present relevant case studies, including a European experience of Social Prescribing aimed at NEETs. A Youth Advisory Group is also involved in this phase, set up to integrate the perspective of young people themselves.
• WP3 – Experimenting with strategies
  Co-designing, with a small group of local actors, methodologies to improve youth engagement. The strategies developed are then tested in the field by service operators, with the support of the research team, to assess their effectiveness and sustainability.
• WP4 – Feedback and consolidation
  Translating experiments into tangible results through three actions:
  A public feedback meeting to share experiences and results from the experiments.
  The definition of a shared research protocol, paving the way for future experimentation on a larger scale, with the aim of gathering scientific evidence on the effectiveness of innovative approaches to supporting NEETs.
  The drafting of a collaboration protocol between the parties involved, essential for the consolidation of an integrated and sustainable system of local services for young people.

The project will conclude with a final event dedicated to presenting the results and sharing future prospects.

• For the Politecnico di Milano, the following are collaborating:
  Cristina Masella, Scientific Project Manager, Department of Management Engineering
• Isabel Farina, Department of Management Engineering
• Giuliana Costa, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies
• Daniela Sangiorgi, Department of Design