Western Balkans: Future for You(th): Young people as Leaders of Life Skills Education in the Balkans – BIH966

Peer and gender-based violence along with an unhealthy lifestyles and risk of radicalization remain a pressing problem in schools and juvenile correctional institutions in the Western Balkans, fuelled by gender stereotypes and social and cultural norms, and exacerbated by a challenging socio-economic context, with high unemployment and migration rates and political uncertainty. The educational and social welfare systems in the region, generally rigid and obsolete, do not succeed with current programs in the response to this situation.

Impact

The long-term objective is to contribute to creating positive and peaceful societies for young people in Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina that embrace and promote gender equality and non-violence.

Outcome

Gender-transformative life skills education fostered to become an integral part of education programs at schools and juvenile correctional institutions.

Outputs

Output 1: Elementary schools, high schools and universities are equipped to effectively deliver and lead the implementation of CARE’s life skills program (Program Y) to support young people in their safe transition to adulthood.

Output 2: Juvenile correctional institutions pilot CARE´s life skills program tailor-made for youth at risk (Program Y Plus) to prevent radicalization and contribute to re-socialization.

Output 3: Communities are mobilized and take an active role in initiating the educational policy change, securing stronger public voices for youth within Future 4 You(th) Movement.

Output 4: Governmental bodies empowered to develop strategies to institutionalize life skills programming through multi-stakeholder consultation processes

Main Activities

• Trainings of trainers for teachers & peer educators on Program Y
• Development of Program Y guidelines for universities, and organization and delivery of workshops on Program Y for university students
• Development, design, translation and printing of textbook on Program Y for high school students and Program Y manual for elementary and high schools
• Implementation of Program Y workshops and campaign activities in elementary and high schools
• Organization of regional Youth Summer Camps
• Development of an online course on Program Y for peer educators
• Signing MoU with youth correctional facilities
• Development of a manual on Program Y Plus for working with youth at risk in correctional facilities
• Capacity building for partner organisations on Program Y Plus
• Program Y Plus trainings for social welfare staff and workshops implementation for youth at risk
• Establishment of Be a Man Clubs (BMC) and BMC activities for youth in correctional facilities
• Organization of workshops and campaign activities for youth in correctional facilities
• Meetings with coalition partners and task group members for strengthening the Future4Youth Movement for life skills education
• Capacity building on advocacy and movement building for coalition partners
• BMC and BMC alumni activities in the frame of the Future4Youth Movement
• Future4Youth Movement campaign development (Slogans, visual and media applications)
• Implementation of advocacy and raising awareness activities
• Country level researches (Situation Analysis) to inform the development of institutionalization strategies for gender transformative life skills education
• Advocacy meetings, and establishment and facilitation of working groups for the institutionalisation of life skills education (institutionalization strategy development)
• Final Regional Conference with representatives of all target groups

Location

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo

Beneficiaries

The project works directly with 65,690 participants:

• 47,800 young people from 11 to 30 years old in elementary schools, high schools, universities, as well as youth in communities
• 500 high and elementary school teachers and education staff,
• 160 social welfare staff,
• at least 17,000 local stakeholders in mobilized communities,
• at least 30 representatives of seven local partner organizations, and
• at least 200 representatives of decision-making government institutions.

Duration

01.03.2021 – 29.02.2024

Total Budget

€ 1,384,845

Partner Organisation

The project will be implemented by CARE in cooperation with seven local partner organizations: Center E8 and SMART Kolektiv from Serbia, SIT and YMCA from Kosovo, Act for Society Centre from Albania, Institute Perpetuum Mobile from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Status M from Croatia.

Donors

This project is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) (with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation).