“I believe that everyone should experience the Superschools exchange. This was the most important thing of this whole school year that happened to me,” said Milica Drobnjak, student of the Secondary Vocational School in Bijelo Polje, Montenegro, about her participation in one of the SuperSchools Program exchanges for students.
Committed to supporting the peacebuilding and reconciliation process through intercultural learning and dialogue among schools, students and their commitment, RYCO partnered with GIZ to create the SuperSchools program. The European Union, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) backed RYCO and GIZ in this mission through their generous financial support.
The SuperSchools program is designed to engage youths, teachers and schools as institutions. Schools from different WB6 countries can apply to become SuperSchools and form partnerships that create the way for them to implement school exchanges and participate in the program’s activities dedicated to their capacity building, networking and cooperation.
For young people, the SuperSchools program offers opportunities to travel and explore the region; Create new friendships and gain intercultural skills. The program provides the teachers with new experiences and perspectives; Opportunities for capacity building through RYCO’s thematic areas and project management trainings as well as the possibility to network with other like-minded teachers from the region.
Alma Deliu, a teacher at Sami Frashëri Gymnasium in Pristina, Kosovo backs this up when asked about her experience, “We believe that together we will not exchange only fun moments but also fruitful experiences for the future considering that even though we are two different cultures from the same region, we still have commonalities that bring us together in a peaceful and harmonious manner.”
From 2021 when the project started until 2024, over the course of two open calls RYCO supported 77 bilateral partnerships of secondary schools from the WB6 region and facilitated the exchange of around over 1800 high school students through more than 150 organized exchanges. Throughout the program, over 300 high school teachers from the region strengthened their capacities through RYCO’s thematic areas, non-formal educational activities, and project management trainings.
In this context — sharing a sentiment similar to Deliu from Pristina, Kosovo — Dušica Golubović, teacher at the Secondary Vocational School in Pirot, Serbia highlights the opportunities for professional growth presented by her participation in the SuperSchool Program activities. “This project is a fantastic opportunity for professional improvement for me, but at the same time, a test of my previous professional improvements which I had as a pedagogue and teacher in this school,” says Golubović.
As of May 2024, RYCO has begun its new flagship program that brings opportunities for high school students and teachers in the Western Balkans to connect and implement joint activities through the unique exchange scheme. The 90 secondary schools from the Western Balkans who are participating in its third SuperSchool exchange program, have been announced in August 2024 and their exchange activities are currently ongoing.
Emphasizing the cooperation with representative student bodies such as student parliaments — through its new 2024-2026 cycle — the Superschools Program will continue to provide young people with a genuine and impactful role in shaping their non-formal educational experience through activities’ planning and application design. Special attention in this new cycle will be dedicated to the Homestay concept focused on staying in hosting school student’s families. An experience proven to create stronger bonds and understanding between young people from the region.
Alma Deliu, a teacher at Sami Frashëri Gymnasium in Pristina, Kosovo backs this up when asked about her experience, “We believe that together we will not exchange only fun moments but also fruitful experiences for the future considering that even though we are two different cultures from the same region, we still have commonalities that bring us together in a peaceful and harmonious manner.”
From 2021 when the project started until 2024, over the course of two open calls RYCO supported 77 bilateral partnerships of secondary schools from the WB6 region and facilitated the exchange of around over 1800 high school students through more than 150 organized exchanges. Throughout the program, over 300 high school teachers from the region strengthened their capacities through RYCO’s thematic areas, non-formal educational activities, and project management trainings.
In this context — sharing a sentiment similar to Deliu from Pristina, Kosovo — Dušica Golubović, teacher at the Secondary Vocational School in Pirot, Serbia highlights the opportunities for professional growth presented by her participation in the SuperSchool Program activities. “This project is a fantastic opportunity for professional improvement for me, but at the same time, a test of my previous professional improvements which I had as a pedagogue and teacher in this school,” says Golubović.
As of May 2024, RYCO has begun its new flagship program that brings opportunities for high school students and teachers in the Western Balkans to connect and implement joint activities through the unique exchange scheme. The 90 secondary schools from the Western Balkans who are participating in its third SuperSchool exchange program, have been announced in August 2024 and their exchange activities are currently ongoing.
Emphasizing the cooperation with representative student bodies such as student parliaments — through its new 2024-2026 cycle — the Superschools Program will continue to provide young people with a genuine and impactful role in shaping their non-formal educational experience through activities’ planning and application design. Special attention in this new cycle will be dedicated to the Homestay concept focused on staying in hosting school student’s families. An experience proven to create stronger bonds and understanding between young people from the region.
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