Tirana- 16 schools from Albania 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 today at a public event called “Meet the Superschools,” organized by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Alongside the representatives from the selected schools, the event was attended by Mr. Andrea Ferrero Head of the Section of the EU Delegation; The First Secretary for Culture and Press at the German Embassy, Mr. Jan Maibom; Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Nina Guga, Head of the National Youth Agency Mr. Geron Ibrahimaj, General Secretary of RYCO Mr. Albert Hani, Superschools Project Manager Mrs Mimoza Gavrani and the Head of the Local Office of RYCO Mr. Kreshnik Loka.
“Superschools is a unique opportunity for high schools and their communities in the WB6 to cooperate and create meaningful connections. It is great to celebrate the 16 awarded schools from Albania and having more and more Superschools in the Western Balkans”, pointed out Mr. Andrea Ferrero
Opening the event Mr. Albert Hani said that “Superschools is a flagship program of RYCO and we are proud of the success it has achieved so far. RYCO and its partners are proud to meet the new 90 schools part of the 3rd cycle, and specifically today, the 16 awarded schools from Albania. We look forward to their inspiring exchanges.”
“Germany deeply cherishes the work of RYCO and its Superschools Initiative. Its exchange programs create unforgettable memories and build long-lasting relationships and trust among the region’s youth,” highlighted Mr. Jan Maibom.
“Superschools is more than an exchange of students, it is an exchange of ideas, values and opportunities. Thank you and congratulations to the 16 awarded schools in their upcoming journey. The Ministry of Education and Sports will continue to be your biggest supporter”, stated Mrs. Nina Guga, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports.
“Through this exchange scheme, young people have the chance to build bridges and communicate with different cultures and communities. By implementing joint projects they are helping in building a more united region”, said Mr. Geron Ibrahimi.
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 Superschools 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 16 from Albania, 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.
