Chapter Il volontariato come contesto di apprendimento per l’invecchiamento attivo

Overview & Synopsis

This paper examines the role of volunteering in later life as a context for learning and personal development, consistent with a life span developmental perspective. Participation in volunteer activities provides older adults with meaningful opportunities to enhance emotional well-being, mitigate cognitive decline, and develop social and civic competencies. Moreover, volunteering constitutes a vehicle for promoting lifelong learning, articulating a sense of care for the community, and sustaining the potential for personal growth and transformation. Drawing on data from a national survey on volunteers’ competences and a critical review of the relevant literature, this contribution underscores the potential of volunteering as an expression of generativity and as a means of recognizing and valorizing the competencies of older adults.