Training Resilience through Creativity and Technology: Adaptify Pilots in Naples and L’Aquila
How can digital storytelling and artificial intelligence help young people, especially those facing social and educational challenges, to navigate change with confidence?
The ADAPTIFY methodology was designed precisely for this: to train adaptability and emotional intelligence in youth through creative and digital tools.
In Italy, CIAPE tested these methodologies in two pilot experiences that demonstrated their potential to strengthen resilience and inclusion, even in fragile contexts, such as with disadvantaged youths in Naples and L’Aquila.
Empowering Youth in Naples
The first pilot was held in Naples, at the Istituto Comprensivo Novaro Cavour, within the broader initiative of CIAPE Vibes, in collaboration with a local non-profit organisation. The session involved 40 young people and educators, many from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Here, facilitators used AI-based storytelling and emotional intelligence activities to spark reflection on technology’s role in self-expression and empathy. Participants learned how tools like ChatGPT can be used in a creative way to tell stories, explore emotions, and reimagine personal and community change.
The youth’s enthusiasm was striking. They shared that the experience opened their eyes to new, positive ways of using technology, and educators expressed great interest in applying the same methodology in their daily work.
Learning to Grow Through Change
The second pilot took place at Punto Luce in L’Aquila, a community centre supporting children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants aged 11 to 30, many of whom experience learning difficulties and economic hardship, took part in group activities based on the “Growing Through Change” module. Using storytelling, self-reflection and Lego-based exercises, they explored how adaptability can become a life skill, a mindset that allows them to face uncertainty with curiosity rather than fear. Despite limited technological resources and attention challenges, the session showed how creative, hands-on learning can engage even those who often struggle in traditional educational settings.
“The activities helped us understand that AI can support our thinking without replacing it,” said one participant, reflecting on the exercise that combined digital tools with emotional reflection.
Adaptability as a Shared Skill
Both pilots confirmed that Adaptify’s approach also works where it’s needed most, which means in contexts marked by social and emotional vulnerability. The methodology helps young people not only to acquire digital literacy but also to strengthen self-awareness, collaboration, and confidence in their own potential.
The pilots in L’Aquila and Naples demonstrate how training adaptability can become a powerful driver of resilience, especially when it combines storytelling, creativity, and technology. Through this innovative approach, ADAPTIFY continues to show that every young person regardless of background can learn to navigate change with imagination, empathy, and trust in their own voice.
-Ciape