Italian towns empower youth with community events and scholarships

In the Viterbo province, the Soriano Giovani association, founded in 2022, has organised a series of cultural and sporting activities—including the Wide Fest, an escape‑room at Castello Orsini and the Soriano Cup—aimed at revitalising rural life as Italy’s 18‑34‑year‑old population shrinks by nearly 23 % over two decades. Complementing the grassroots effort, the newly created youth council in Vallerano, composed of eleven members aged 14‑18, now has a formal mandate to propose projects, allocate municipal funds and advise on policies affecting young people.

In Avezzano, the municipal government, led by Mayor Gianni Di Pangrazio, hosted a ceremony awarding the first‑edition Milo scholarships to five law students—Luca Maillaro, Luigi Marrese, Serena Pellecchia, Daniele Del Fiacco and Simona De Santis—in memory of the late lawyer Antonio Milo. The mayor highlighted the partnership with the University of Teramo and framed the scholarships as an investment in the next generation of jurists.