Icehearts in Cerignola and Manfredonia: growing up with sports, relationships, and community

Some have discovered the pleasure of karate, others have found a space to express themselves in skating or gymnastics, and others have learned to trust others while in the water or on a playing field. In Cerignola and Manfredonia, the Icehearts Europe project has begun to chart trajectories of growth both inside and outside of sport, involving nearly 40 children and building a network of relationships that unites schools, families, and the local area.

Created to promote psychosocial well-being through stable groups led by educational mentors, Icehearts is based on a participatory model that focuses on the experiences of young people, offering safe spaces where they can experiment, interact, and grow together. In the province of Foggia, the project is run by the Uisp Foggia-Manfredonia Committee, which has set up two local centers offering free, differentiated but complementary activities.

In Cerignola, the program was born out of a collaboration with the “Di Vittorio - Padre Pio” comprehensive school, involving a group of 19 boys and girls. After an initial phase of observation and getting to know each other, the group put together a weekly program structured around sports and educational activities: karate, figure skating, yoga, musical fitness, and functional training, carried out in a central and accessible location. The activities are free and tailored to the needs and potential of the participants, with the aim of strengthening both motor and relational skills.

Among the initiatives on the calendar, ‘Books in motion... Yoga and imagination’, scheduled for ‘May of Books’, will offer a special opportunity to combine reading, physical activity, and creativity. In the summer, there will also be outdoor education activities aimed at promoting contact with nature. “The project is a stable educational and social resource,” says mentor Oriana Lapollo. “Families, especially mothers, have been extremely cooperative and proud of their children's progress. Positive word of mouth has helped to increase participation.”

In Manfredonia, 20 children are involved in a multisport program that includes five-a-side soccer, basketball, swimming, karate, dance, artistic gymnastics, and skating. The free program is designed to enhance each child's resources, encouraging active participation and a sense of belonging. In addition to weekly activities, the project has also promoted community events, such as a shared snack organized in collaboration with the “Party con Gheghè” center, which provided space for an afternoon shared by children, parents, and mentors. “If I had to define Icehearts in a few words, I would say that it is a project that really touches the hearts of all those who experience it,” says mentor Stefania Fortunato. “A relationship of complicity has been created with the children. A climate of trust and listening has been established with the families. It is precisely this relationship that has made genuine involvement and continuity over time possible.”

Icehearts Europe, inspired by the Finnish model and coordinated at European level by ISCA - International Sport and Culture Association, is active in Italy thanks to 12 Uisp committees. In the province of Foggia, too, the project demonstrates every day its ability to adapt to local areas and strengthen bonds between people through care, presence, and teamwork. (Lorenzo Boffa)