As part of the 4th Open Call of the Superschools programme, RYCO brought together more than 100 young people from across the Western Balkans for the Superschools Youth Camp 2026, held in Zlatibor from 14 to 19 May.
Building on five years of Superschools and a decade of RYCO’s work in fostering regional cooperation, the Youth Camp served as a vibrant space where young people could connect , develop essential life skills, and experience firsthand the power of intercultural dialogue and cooperation. From the very first day, participants were immersed in a welcoming and inclusive environment, engaging in structured activities designed to help them get to know each other, build trust, and establish a strong sense of group belonging, setting the tone for a week centered around collaboration and shared experiences.
Throughout the programme, the Youth Camp combined interactive workshops with experiential learning, placing a strong focus on teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Through a series of group-building sessions, participants worked together on practical challenges that strengthened cooperation, improved active listening, and fostered mutual trust, while daily reflection sessions provided space to process experiences, share insights, and deepen learning.
Reflecting on the programme, Teodora Vučković, a student from Montenegro, said:
“Superschools is a great opportunity to meet new people, have a good time, connect with others, and create new experiences.”
Echoing this spirit, Gabriela Gjoreska student from North Macedonia added:
“Superschools gives young people the chance to step outside their everyday environment, take on new challenges, and learn from peers with different perspectives. It is a space where friendships are built through shared experiences, and where young people can grow, connect, and better understand one another.”
A key highlight of the camp was the combination of Adventure Park challenges and Sports for Development (S4D) activities, where participants were encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, test their limits, build resilience, and rely on one another to complete both individual and group tasks, reinforcing a strong sense of solidarity and collective achievement.
In parallel, the programme placed a strong emphasis on values-driven learning through dedicated RYCO thematic workshops focusing on identity and intercultural understanding, where participants explored diversity, reflected on their own perspectives, and engaged in meaningful discussions on shared values and coexistence in the region.
For Noara Isufi from Albania, this sense of connection became one of the most meaningful outcomes of the programme:
“Superschools helped me find a new family. It truly helped me connect with people whom I didn’t think I would ever connect with. So now I could positively say that I have three sisters”
The Youth Camp reached its peak on 18 May with the Superschools Regional Education Conference, which brought together participants, educators, and stakeholders to reflect on the achievements of the programme and discuss its future impact, providing a platform for young voices to be heard and for experiences from the exchanges to be shared more broadly across the region. The camp concluded with evaluation sessions, certificate distribution, and a collective farewell, marking not just the end of a programme, but the beginning of lasting connections and continued collaboration among participants, who return to their communities as ambassadors of dialogue, cooperation, and positive change. As part of the 4th Open Call of Superschools, this Youth Camp once again reaffirmed the programme’s role in building bridges between young people and contributing to a more connected, inclusive, and cooperative Western Balkans.
About the Superschools program
“Superschools” is a program for school exchanges in the Western Balkans. Its objectives are to support peacebuilding, reconciliation, and intercultural learning and dialogue among schools, students, and their communities. The program is part of the 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 the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
