Analysis of the Role of Voluntary Agents in the Socio-Cultural Integration and Emancipation of Unaccompanied Minors in Italy

The aim of this study is to analyse the active role of volunteers in the Italian reception system and to assess how their actions and strategies contribute to the construction of an environment that promotes the autonomy and protagonism of unaccompanied minors in the development of their migration project. Based on a theoretical framework that combines socio-educational and psychosocial approaches and theories of community participation, the study addresses the importance of volunteering as a key tool in processes of inclusion and the development of personal migration projects. A qualitative approach is adopted under the interpretative paradigm, using a collective case study carried out at the Scuola Penny Wirton in Rome. The sample was selected through purposive and convenience sampling, integrating 25 volunteer agents (68% women and 32% men), aged between 60 and 84. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results show that volunteers deploy flexible and personalised strategies, prioritising the creation of a climate of trust and contextualised language learning as a vehicle for integration. Likewise, the importance of emotional support, identification and attention to psychosocial needs, and the promotion of a sense of belonging is evident. However, a lack of formal mechanisms for interdisciplinary collaboration is detected.