This week at the center has gone well! I did another English lesson and helped out with one of the Italian lessons that the kids have at the center. Twice a week, a teacher comes in to teach them Italian, focusing on essential vocabulary and spelling. These lessons are super important for them because learning Italian is of course the first step towards navigating life in Italy.

When they turn 18, the kids age out of the Italian government's system for taking care of unaccompanied minors and they have to figure out living independently. Beyond Italian lessons, the center also generally supports the kids and helps them get the skills they need to live independently by involving them in the process of taking care of the center and preparing the meals they share. I talked with one of the center's staff members about the kids' transition to independent life, and she told me that sometimes, if they've become very proficient in Italian, the kids continue on to higher education, but usually they immediately start looking for work. They're often really motivated by wanting to send money back home to their families, so getting a job is huge priority for them.

In my research, I'd read about some job training programs funded by the Italian government that place young migrants in apprenticeships to help them find employment, so I asked her if she's known kids who got those kinds of opportunities. She told me that some of the group homes where kids go on to live after leaving this center (which is designed as a initial, temporary home where they stay for about 30-45 days) offer classes that prepare the kids for jobs by teaching them skills like hairdressing or working in a professional kitchen. She said that they get to pick classes based on their interests. 

Both she and another staff member who I chatted with told me that it can be difficult for the kids to find jobs, and that learning Italian is really important for their chances. One of the younger kids who I've been teaching English is actually leaving the center this week, to go live in one of the long-term group homes, which in Italian are called Case Famiglia, or family homes.