Between June and July 2025, there were about 7,000 participants in the Summer Camp for Children, with ages ranging from second grade to eighth grade. The various Summer Camps for Young People involved 1,350 young people between the ages of 14 and 25, who took part in formation courses and tournaments tailored to their age and their desire to get involved.
‘In the courtyards of our oratories,’ says Aurora, a leader at the Oratory in Lecce, ‘Estate Ragazzi [Summer for the Kids] is not just a way to occupy the summer time: it is a space for play, authentic encounters, values and implicit formation. During this experience, the young people learn to collaborate, follow common rules, contribute to the group and very often discover new things about themselves, overcoming their small and large limitations. In short, by getting involved, everyone learns something and discovers new potential and abilities that characterise them.’
The strength of these experiences lies in the educational team, with a total of 1,733 collaborators and Animators (teenagers and young adults) who, under the guidance of the Salesian responsible for the Oratory and within a thematic framework inspired by animated films or a resource, plan and animate the days and at the same time are trained to ensure the solidity of the service to the little ones.
‘The Leader/Animator understands more and more,’ Aurora in her testimony, "how their educational role is not simply limited to imposing rules, but to being there! They discover a vocation to service, where the beauty of gratuitousness, relationship and the shared construction of an educational goal stand out. A bridge is also created between faith and concrete life. Christian values come to life and take shape in everyday life, not through sermons, but through daily prayer and true witness.’
‘Obviously, in addition to the young people and the Leaders, it is the entire community that gets involved in the Summer Youth Programme: priests, families, volunteers, catechists. In this atmosphere of colourful jerseys, hymns sung at the top of our voices, trips, games and tournaments, we experience a real sense of belonging.’ A large adult community which, according to the survey, counts on the availability of about 523 lay volunteers and consecrated Salesians in the Oratories who, like a large ‘belt network’ of summer experiences, ensure and safeguard the smooth running of each day.
‘The survey we conducted in the geography of the IME Province,’ says Fr Giuseppe Russo, ‘paints a picture of lively and dynamic oratories. The “Estate Ragazzi” and “Estate Giovani” programmes confirm themselves as privileged spaces where education and evangelisation intertwine naturally, with the joy and vitality typical of Salesian courtyards.’
These are educational proposals that continue to accompany the growth of entire generations of people in Don Bosco's dream, leaving in their hearts,‘ concludes Aurora, ’the bonds, smiles and beauty that everyone has been able to experience during this past month in the oratory.’
