SOFT SKILLS EN LA ESCUELA SECUNDARIA: UNA ESCUELA DE VERANO EXPERIENCIAL E INCLUSIVA.

This chapter examines a transnational educational experience—the Summer School “Life Skills for the Future”—designed to foster transversal competencies (soft skills) among secondary school students within an inclusive and intercultural framework. Drawing on the theoretical foundations of life skills proposed by the World Health Organization (1993, 1994) and integrating the contributions of Dewey, Kolb, Vygotsky, Bruner, and Bandura, the authors situate the project within the paradigm of experiential learning, conceived as a dynamic process that intertwines action, reflection, and collaboration. The research, carried out within the framework of the European FAMI programme (2021–2027), involved 48 students from different countries and regions, organized into three thematic areas—arts, sports, and leadership—and employed the 3SQ – Soft Skills Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (Lucisano & du Mérac, 2019) as the main assessment tool. The pre-test and post-test analysis revealed a significant increase across all measured competencies—collaboration, resilience, empathy, problem-solving, and leadership—as well as an enhanced perception of self-efficacy. Findings confirm the effectiveness of experiential methodologies in promoting not only social and cognitive abilities but also attitudes of openness, active citizenship, and intercultural awareness. The Summer School thus emerges as a replicable educational model capable of integrating inclusion, well-being, and holistic human development within a European perspective.

Il saggio analizza un’esperienza educativa transnazionale – la Summer School “Life Skills para el futuro” – finalizzata allo sviluppo delle competenze trasversali (soft skills) in studenti della scuola secondaria, in una prospettiva inclusiva e interculturale. Muovendo dal quadro teorico delle life skills proposto dall’OMS (1993; 1994) e integrando i contributi di Dewey, Kolb, Vygotskij, Bruner e Bandura, gli autori collocano il progetto nell’ambito dell’apprendimento esperienziale, fondato sull’azione, la riflessione e la cooperazione. La ricerca, svolta nell’ambito del programma europeo FAMI (2021–2027), ha coinvolto 48 studenti di diversi Paesi e regioni, articolando le attività in tre aree (arte, sport e leadership) e adottando come strumento di valutazione il 3SQ – Soft Skills Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (Lucisano & du Mérac, 2019). L’analisi pretest-postest ha evidenziato un incremento significativo in tutte le aree di competenza – collaborazione, resilienza, empatia, problem solving e leadership – e una maggiore percezione di autoefficacia. I risultati confermano l’efficacia delle metodologie esperienziali nel promuovere non solo abilità sociali e cognitive, ma anche atteggiamenti di apertura, cittadinanza attiva e consapevolezza interculturale. La Summer School si configura così come un modello educativo replicabile, capace di coniugare inclusione, benessere e formazione integrale della persona in chiave europea.