PRISTINA- 8 schools from Kosovo have been awarded the title of “Superschool” this year, and their proposed projects, which will contribute to peacebuilding, reconciliation, and intercultural learning and dialogue within the framework of the Balkans School Exchange Program, were presented last Friday at a public event called “Meet the Superschools,” organized by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
In addition to the representatives from the selected schools, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Kosovo, Mrs. Arbërie Nagavci; Head of Culture and Press at the German Embassy in Kosovo, Mr. Christian Böttcher; Cooperation Attaché at the Embassy of France in Kosovo Mr. Frédéric Deshayes, Superschool Project Manager Mrs. Mimoza Gavrani and the Head of the Local Branch Office of RYCO in Kosovo Ms. Krenare Gashi Krasniqi.
The event started with opening remarks by the Head of RYCO Local Branch Office in Kosovo, Mrs. Krenare Gashi Krasniqi, who emphasized that the Superschools program has set a new standard in the framework of regional cooperation in WB6, enabling exchanges even between societies that usually do not cooperate with each other.
“I believe that the Superschools will continue to be a powerful force for peace, understanding and friendship between our societies,” said Krenare Gashi Krasniqi, among other things.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education Mrs. Arbërie Nagavci said that she feels satisfied that the third cycle of the “Superschools” project is being marked.
“The Ministry of Education has supported the ‘Superschools’ from the beginning through a letter of support, we have been close to many activities and will continue to be by the side of all the beneficiary schools,” underlined Minister Nagavci.
Head of Culture and Press at the German Embassy in Kosovo Mr. Christian Böttcher, emphasized the vital role of investment in the young and dynamic population of Kosovo and praised RYCO as a key achievement of the Berlin Process. He showed how Superschool exchanges like this build lasting friendships and a brighter future for the region.
Further, the Cooperation Attaché at the Embassy of France in Kosovo Mr. Frédéric Deshayes said it is an achievement that this program has been created.
“This program is special because it does not allow conflicts to turn into myths, it gives the opportunity to “destroy” clichés and create long friendships. In the end he wished all the participants a great exchange program for this year,” said Mr. Frédéric Deshayes
“Exchange for change” marks a decisive new phase in our Superschools project”, said Mrs. Mimoza Gavrani, the Project Manager of the Superschools project from RYCO’s Head Office in Tirana.
” This initiative represents our commitment to building resilience and fostering cooperation across the Western Balkans by engaging youth from an early age. Today, we celebrate not just new opportunities, but the empowering potential for lasting connections and peace in our region.” Mrs. Gavrani underlined.
Besides presenting project ideas, the event also served as an opportunity for representatives of the selected schools to get to know each other better and engage in discussions with key local and international partners of the Super Schools project, as well as to learn more about the next steps in the exchange implementation process.
The upcoming exchange activities will be conducted from November 15 of this year through April 15 of next year. During this period, school principals and teachers will coordinate and develop these activities with the support of RYCO and its mentors. You can view the list of 90 secondary schools from the region, including 8 from Kosovo, on RYCO website.
During the implementation phase, each partner school will organize one exchange visit to the partnering one lasting up to 7 days, with students traveling accompanied by one or two teachers. Through the exchange scheme, students and teachers will have the chance to travel, present themselves, their schools, and customs to their hosts, and learn new things about local communities all throughout the region.
More than 90 exchange proposals were submitted for the Superschools 3nd Open Call, 113 partnerships were created from which 21 are long-term coming from the 1st and 2nd cycle, while more than 579 schools from the Western Balkans used the online platform www.superschools.net for networking with other schools, making it a difficult task for the selection committee to select 45 best projects.
Background
About the Superschools program
Superschools is a RYCO program for school exchanges in the region with the objectives to support the peacebuilding and reconciliation process and intercultural learning and dialogue among schools, students and their communities. The program is part of a multi-donor project “Western Balkans School Exchange Scheme” co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
About RYCO
RYCO is an intergovernmental organization that stewards and promotes regional and intercultural cooperation of young people within and among Western Balkans societies. RYCO’s programs focus on creating opportunities for young people to engage in activities that build mutual understanding and reconciliation in the civic, social, educational, cultural, and sports domains. RYCO initiates and participates in policymaking and advocates for reform. It supports the development of a political and social environment that empowers and facilitates youth exchange.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
