by Fr Antonio Integlia, SDB
In fact, the education community is fully aware that what children and young people encounter are, first and foremost, people; and that any behavior, choice, relationship that manifests itself will be of decisive importance in the quality by which the children are welcomed. In fact, the Faro's value is principally related to the value of the professionals and the activities it proposes.
The staff consists of 6 operators, 4 of which were chosen from over 100 who had proposed their candidacy for the posts. During this period of preparation, the group is exploring and discussing fundamental problems, with each proposing their own ideas and experience, an exchange and a summing up.
Each operator contributes to deciding how the center shall work with everyone investing thoughts and effort towards finding the most effective answers to the problems they are certain to encounter, each mediating their own ideas with those of others, each one learning and teaching.
This path covers two areas. More an organizational matter, the first has seen the group decide on its roles, responsibilities, activities, tools, goals, producing a series of documents, with the "Faro Services Card" acting as a synthesis. The second, of a more value-based nature and related to the foundations, is concerned with the principles underlying the overall model of the Faro as a Salesian center.
The idea is that the chosen professionals enter and become part of the Salesian tradition via discussion and growth. In this sense, the Faro is not merely a service that acts on the needs of the territory, but also an important experience that aims to update and innovate Salesian methodology.
The minimum goal is to make a thorough study of the Salesian model regarding educational practice and action; the second aim is to make this relationship public and shareable, that is, if and how Faro can implement principles and tradition. Finally, the ultimate goal is contributing to innovate this approach by developing proposals other subjects in the network can adopt and use as a starting point.
