From September 18 to 19, 2025, a study visit took place in the Italian cities of Trento and Bolzano within the "Community Potentials" Program, which has been implemented by the National Foundation for Civil Society Development since 2024.
During the two-day stay in Italy, representatives of the City of Pag and City of Karlovac, teachers and students of Bartul Kašić High School Pag, the Center for Education and Rehabilitation Karlovac and Forest and Woodworking School Karlovac, along with elderly people from these cities and strategic partners of the National Foundation – Foundation for the Development of Local Communities and Sustainable Tourism Zora and the European Foundation for Philanthropy and Social Development – participated in a program focused on exchanging experiences and learning about best practices in the areas of intergenerational cooperation, citizen inclusion, and sustainable local community development.
On the first day, participants visited Trentingrana Cooperative in Trento, where they learned about the cooperative model of production and distribution and the importance of cooperatives for local development. The program continued at the Federation of Trentino Cooperatives (FTC), where the Skill4Job initiative was presented, aimed at enhancing youth employability through acquiring practical skills and connecting with community needs.
On the second day, the program took place in NOI Techpark in Bolzano, an innovation center of i3.0, a strategic partner of the National Foundation, and the research center Eurac Research, dedicated to socio-technological innovations. There, participants had the opportunity to learn about best practices such as Lungomare – "Fiumicina", a solar kitchen project along the river exploring sustainability and shared use of public spaces; the DrinBZ initiative, which brings young people together through inclusive urban events; the Zoona project, which transformed an abandoned industrial zone into a cultural and social center; and the program Beauty of Seeking Good through Strong Care for Life, which focuses on supporting people with dementia through intergenerational cooperation, care, and art.
