Developing digital soft skills in the hyper-ghetto: A case study of the ”Punto luce” in Casal di Principe

Digital technologies are not uniformly converted into social resources in hyper-ghetto contexts. This article examines the Punto luce center in Casal di Principe, an area marked by educational deprivation, socio-economic precarity, and persistent territorial stigmatization, to analyze how a local educational service can transform everyday digital practices into social and learning resources. Focusing on the Youth in stem and beyond (Usb) project, we explore how Stem (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workshops and media education foster digital competencies and digital soft skills. Grounded in theories of hyper-ghetto, cultural and digital capital, and the digital divide, the article employs an across-method triangulation combining longitudinal surveys and interviews with educators. Findings show strengthened technical abilities and critical media use. The analysis suggests that high-density relational educational ecosystems can partly disrupt mechanisms of marginality reproduction, converting otherwise inert technological access into social capabilities for young people facing structural deprivation and limited future opportunities.