"Educating for Life," at the Curcio Institute in Ispica, the program to stop youth suicides

It concludes with a decidedly positive outcome at the “Gaetano Curcio” Institute in Ispica, the project “Educating for Life”, a youth suicide prevention initiative created by the “Noi per Salvatore” association in collaboration with the psychologists from “Archè”.

The two organizations, born from the pain of losing two young boys, chose to transform that wound into a concrete commitment, aiming to inform, raise awareness, and reduce risk behaviors among adolescents.

With “Educating for Life”, they addressed a topic that is both delicate and essential, building a training path capable of speaking directly to students, increasing their awareness and providing practical prevention tools.

According to the president of “Archè”, psychologist Giusy Lo Piccolo, and the president of “Noi per Salvatore” Giuseppe Lorefice, suicide is among the leading causes of death among young people: a complex and painful phenomenon, often surrounded by silence and misunderstanding.

Discussing it openly remains a taboo, especially at school, but it is precisely there that real impact can be made.

The school institution can become a protected environment where listening, empathy, and prevention come together to save lives.

Addressing psychological suffering with frankness and sensitivity has allowed for the space to be given to a topic that closely affects every young person's life, creating a context in which they felt free to express themselves without fear of judgment.

The path was organized into two moments: one theoretical and one experiential.

The first part, developed through class meetings, involved the fourth and fifth grades separately, in order to encourage maximum attention and participation.

The causes of suicide, the distinction from forms of non-suicidal self-harm, warning signs, the transition from thought to action, and the most appropriate support methods were explored.

Each group was able to reflect calmly, in a protective context, on risks and possible responses.

In the second phase, more operational and creative, the students, guided by psychologists, worked in small groups building scenarios and simulations of situations of distress or suicidal risk.

The goal was to learn to recognize the warning signs and intervene responsibly, promoting a culture of mutual aid.

In this way, they put into practice the knowledge acquired, training empathy and listening skills.

The feedback was very positive: over a thousand students involved reported a greater awareness on the topic of suicide prevention.

Many highlighted that they had developed new skills to face crisis moments and support their peers.

The initiative also strengthened the bonds among the students, fostering a network of solidarity and understanding.

The group Archè and the association Noi per Salvatore intend to continue on this path, keeping at the center the prevention of suicide and, more generally, raising awareness on mental health issues, so that prevention becomes a constant action.

As emphasized by the school principal Maurizio Franzò, the goal remains to educate young people to recognize and manage psychological distress, reducing the risk of extreme actions and ensuring support for those in need.