Courses
The course is designed to provide the essential skills to effectively communicate the themes of charitable giving in the current information landscape, deeply permeated by the languages of social media and AI. The core challenge of the program is to convey the understanding and tools needed to prepare communication managers and staff capable of designing information, communication, and fundraising activities. This is a particularly crucial challenge because welcoming, engaging in dialogue, and supporting listening activities—themes inherent to "good"—often appear to run counter to the content that drives virality in the digital environment.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Five-year secondary school diploma and experience gained in diocesan Caritas offices or at national and European level.
RECIPIENTS
The course is intended for young people under 30, primarily high school and university graduates who have gained previous experience in the Caritas field.
To apply, send an email to youngcaritas@caritas.it with your CV by February 27, 2026.
Course presentation and requirements
Course Structure and Calendar
The lessons will be delivered in blended mode, with three in-person meetings and remote lessons through a dedicated platform that will allow for group work in workshops organized to use generative artificial intelligence to produce and disseminate video, image, and audio content.
The 60 total hours of lessons will take place from March 13, 2026 to May 30, 2026 and will be divided as follows: Friday 2:00-6:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am-1:00 pm.
Remote delivery with 3 in-person meetings (March 13-14 | April 10-11 | May 29-30).
Certificate issued
Certificate of attendance from the LUMSA Human Academy and Caritas Italiana for the course "Communicating Charity Online and in the Web. Skills for Social Media and AI." Obtaining the certificate requires at least 80% attendance and passing the final exam.
Director and Scientific Coordinator
Director
Professor Fabio Bolzetta, journalist, adjunct professor of Communication Law and Television Journalism at the Faculty of Communication Sciences, Marketing, and Digital Media at the Libera Maria SS. Assunta University (LUMSA) in Rome.
Scientific coordinator
Luca Servidati, Ph.D., YOUngCaritas
Plan
Content structure and practical laboratory integration
The teaching structure is designed to balance theoretical insights with practical laboratory applications. During the 60-hour course, participants will be asked to work on a specific case study (for example, the presentation of a particularly relevant report previously published and presented by Caritas Italiana), developing an integrated communications plan in groups as the final output of the course to be presented to the management of Caritas Italiana.
Programma
1. The mission of Caritas Italiana
We begin with the core of our identity, analyzing the mission and vision of Caritas Italiana to define our communication framework. This module is not merely informative, but also serves as an ethical framework, the benchmark for course participants when they are called upon to work on sensitive issues. We will establish guiding principles for a language that can communicate poverty and inclusion with dignity and authority, avoiding sensationalism, polarization, and the improper use of images.
2. The resonance of charity in the Catholic context
This section will explore the impact of ethical and value-based communication, analyzing how the Magisterium and the Social Doctrine of the Church, as Pope Leo XIV urged, can purify it from aggression and hatred and enable it to give voice to the poor and address contemporary challenges. "There is a growing demand for the Social Doctrine of the Church to which we must respond," and for communication "capable of listening, of giving voice to those who have no voice." It will examine the process of transforming data and social intervention into stories that not only inform but mobilize consciences, connecting the Christian message to the practice of solidarity.
3. Theoretical foundations and strategic planning
Theoretical content is essential for effectively designing communications activities. Starting from classical models, the focus will shift to communication as a relational process, crucial for the third sector. Sessions will focus on translating the mission into specific objectives and understanding the mechanisms for receiving the message. It will also be crucial to address the principles of transparency, accountability, and governance in reputation management and crisis communications.
4. Digital tools and social media skills
This core curriculum will provide skills for social media and AI. Lessons will focus on acquiring technical and strategic knowledge. Vertical insights will focus specifically on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp: an approach to short and authentic visual storytelling (Reels and Stories) to engage younger audiences and convey messages of solidarity and advocacy. A focus will be on the strategic use of direct messaging for grassroots engagement, internal communication planning, and volunteer community management.
Editorial plan development: development of a multi-channel calendar and content that harmonizes the various digital languages.
5. AI, innovation and relational intelligence
One module focuses on innovation and ethics in AI. The potential of generative AI for the production and dissemination of written, video, image, and audio content will be explored. At the same time, a critical reflection on the ethics of AI and the risk of bias will be developed, placing the concept of Relational Intelligence as a necessary counterweight (see 111. Antiqua et nova). Technology must be seen as a tool that enhances the human capacity to build connections, which is the true essence of Caritas' mission.
The final in-person session will be dedicated to finalizing the communications plan for the selected case study, integrating the ethical use of AI into the strategic proposal.
The intersection of advanced digital skills and specific training in the themes of "good" is the key to training communications professionals capable of innovatively supporting and amplifying the testimony of charity online and in the Web.
