Formación del Educador Salesiano en las Juventudes del Siglo XXI

This chapter reflects on the challenges and needs of Salesian educator training in the changing and complex context of the 21st century. Drawing on the notion of the “Network Society” and the impact of technologies and artificial intelligence, it argues for an urgent reframing of education from a critical, comprehensive, and contextualized perspective. Key issues are addressed, including generational gaps between teachers and students, the need for prospective education in the face of uncertain social forecasts, and structural inequalities persisting in Latin America. The text proposes a proactive—not merely reactive—education centered on critical thinking, ethical discernment, and social awareness. Within this framework, Salesian pedagogy is presented as a humanizing pathway grounded in affection, reason, and spirituality. The Salesian educator must be a transformative agent combining technical training with socio-emotional, digital, and spiritual competencies. The proposal emphasizes affective accompaniment, active listening, and the creation of spaces of meaning and hope. Returning to Don Bosco’s pragmatism means boldly updating his charism, recognizing education as an ethical and political act. Thus, an education is promoted that dignifies, transforms, and prepares young people to inhabit the world to come in a critical and ethical manner.