ACAR Next Gen: Three Days in Florence to Meet and Get to Know One Another
An experience dedicated to ACAR’s young members, born out of a desire to listen to their needs and made possible thanks to the support of the Fondazione Donald De Sanctis.
Creating opportunities for connection and fostering new relationships to offer young people a space where they can feel part of a community: this is the goal of NEXT GEN – IN PAUSA, the new initiative by ACAR Aps dedicated to members between the ages of 18 and 40.
From October 30 to November 1, 2026, 20 young members of the Association will be in Florence to spend three days away from their usual association settings, enjoying culture, shared activities, social gatherings, and free time.
An experience designed above all as an opportunity to meet and get to know one another better, thereby strengthening the sense of community.
A project born from listening to young people
NEXT GEN – IN PAUSA also stems from a need expressed directly by the young people of ACAR: to have more opportunities to spend time together and build relationships outside of the association’s daily activities.
The project draws on the experience gained over the years through the Youth Conference and takes it into a new, more informal and free-spirited dimension, centered on the joy of sharing time and experiences.
Florence will serve as the backdrop for a program that will alternate between cultural events, group activities, social gatherings, and free time. Among the planned experiences will be a visit to the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor.
The true value of the initiative lies in the relationships: those who have known each other for some time will be able to strengthen their bonds, while those joining the group for the first time will have the opportunity to meet new people and feel part of a community.
The Contribution of the Fondazione Donald De Sanctis
The creation of ACAR Next Gen – In Pausa was made possible in part by a grant from the Fondazione Donald De Sanctis, which chose to support a project focused on the participation and relational well-being of the Association’s young members.
Supporting initiatives like this means helping to create spaces where young people can share experiences and develop new ways of participating in the life of the Association.
For a community that lives with the reality of rare diseases every day, these moments hold special value because they address not only clinical and care needs but also those related to relationships, social interaction, autonomy, and a sense of belonging.
Youth, Participation, and Community
The ACAR Next Gen project is a concrete example of how listening can become an opportunity.
Giving space to young people’s requests allows us to involve them as active members of the community, capable of expressing their needs, proposing ideas, and envisioning new paths.
The three days in Florence will be a time for coming together and an opportunity to look toward the future and understand together what ACAR Next Gen can become.
Three days, no lab coats, a thousand stories.
To learn more about the initiative and discover ACAR’s project: “LA NEXT GEN takes a BREAK”: three days in Florence to reconnect
