International connections, shared impact

Our CEO Lena Cirillo recently visited Fronte del Borgo in Turin, Italy, a fellow member of the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centres.

Part of Scuola Holden, Fronte del Borgo is a community-focused cultural space where children and young people can read, write, create and connect. Through storytelling workshops, after-school programs, creative writing, visual storytelling and initiatives exploring issues such as gender equality and anti-racism, its work shares many similarities with our approach at 100 Story Building.

During her visit, Lena spent time with Domitilla Pirro, Creative Development Director, and Francesco Gallo, Programmer and Educator. Together they exchanged experiences and ideas about engaging more young people, strengthening creative programs and increasing social impact.

The conversation highlighted the strong connections between our organisations: a belief in the power of storytelling, a commitment to young people’s creativity and agency, and a desire to create inclusive spaces where children and young people know their ideas and voices matter.

As members of the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centres, we are both part of an international community demonstrating the role that writing, creativity and storytelling can play in education, community connection and social change. Connecting directly with our international peers allows us to share what works, learn from different cultural and community contexts, and strengthen our collective impact.

While our communities and contexts may be different, our ambition is shared: to create more opportunities for children and young people to imagine, create, develop their voices and tell the stories that matter to them.