Measure 1.2: Cross- Cross-border initiatives targeting the exchange of people and ideas to enhance the professional and civic society cooperation.
Project Title: Community development through Education
Project Budget:
| Project Value | EU Contribution | |
| Republic of Serbia | € 43,240.00 | € 36,740.00 |
| Montenegro | € 35,665.00 | € 30,115.25 |
| TOTAL | € 78,905.00 | € 66,855.25 |
Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: Denizen Centre for Civic Activism, Svrljig
Beneficiary of funds in Montenegro: Public Preschool Institution “Sestre Radović“, Kolašin
Partners: Non-governmental organisation “Parents for Pupils“
Area of implementation:
• Montenegro: Municipalities of Kolašin, Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, and Nikšić
• Serbia: Vrnjačka Banja and Kraljevo, Zlatiborki county: Nova Varoš, Prijepolje and Priboj.
The target groups of the project: Young people, children (less than 18 years old); community based organizations or non-governmental organizations of the small and rural communities of the cross-border regions of between Montenegro and Serbia, educational organizations, particularly elementary schools, their pupils and teachers.
Project duration: 01/12/2010 – 01/12/2011
Project objectives:
The overall objectives:
Overall Objective 1: To encourage grassroots initiatives in the cross-border region particularly those which impact the small and rural communities in the cross-border region between Serbia and Montenegro;
Overall Objective 2: To provide leadership and entrepreneurial training in communities throughout the cross-border region of the two countries preparing a new generation of trainers and local leaders to take on the kinds of complex situations that emerge as rural communities seek economic and social viability;
Overall Objective 3: To increase cooperation and networking between democratic practitioners and educators, civil society organizations and institutions of the cross-border region of Serbia and Montenegro;
Overall Objective 4: To change the culture of education in schools and communities of the cross-border region using the social responsibility educational program;
Overall Objective 5: To engage rural communities in learning collaboratively about their strengths and opportunities and empower them to develop strategies to support long-term sustainability;
Overall Objective 6: To provide ongoing support for local initiatives through networking, monitoring and site visits.
The specific objective:
To support the establishment educational network in the cross-border region of Serbia and Montenegro by creating a partnership for community development, empowering local leadership in rural communities and introducing social responsibility program at local schools.
Activities and results of the project
The joint action of Denizen Centre for Civic Activism from Svrljig, Serbia and Public Preschool Institution “Sestre Radović“ from Kolašin was implemented within period of 12 months and supported establishment of the educational network in the cross-border region of Serbia and Montenegro. Project partners created partnership for community development, empowering at the same time local leadership in rural communities, promoted grassroots initiatives and introduced Programme of self-government in schools.
The action improved the situation of the target groups by tailor made actions designed to change the culture of education in schools and communities using the innovative programs on the development of community actions, entrepreneurship and leadership as well as social responsibility in the small rural communities.
At the beginning of the action first training of trainers (ToT) was organised in Kolašin with the goal of education teachers and local leaders through a series of workshops and activities focused on community development and democratic values as well as to encourage them in organizing local initiatives. The 23 selected trainees were trained in using innovative methods in working with groups to address local problems and provide leadership and entrepreneurial training. Next activity included preparation of trainings and workshops in Priboj, Prijepolje (for 2 groups), Nova Varoš (for 2 groups), Nikšić (for 2 groups), Bijelo Polje and Kolašin (for 2 groups). Totally 21 participants were involved in this set of the training for trainers. All training for trainers’ participants had an opportunity to develop a project application to deliver ten 4-day workshops in small and rural communities of the target cross-border region. The results of the activities, ToT include: 21 newly trained trainers; 260 young people and 60 adults participated at the workshops; 10 local educational training programmes developed and 6 local educational institutions involved in activities.
Next set of trainings was organised on Public Achievement Programme Implementation (PA) in Kolašin and Vrnjačka Banja. Within this activity two groups of 24 participants from Serbia and 17 from Montenegro, from small communities of the target regions were prepared to act as local energizers using the programme of Public Achievement. The PA is the programme that makes young people active and helps them to become social entrepreneurs and responsible citizens. In the PA people of all ages learn the skills of public life, and discover how, with democracy, ordinary people have the power to do extraordinary things. Next step in project implementation was to organise set of workshops by newly trained individuals, in order to show skills into practice, educating elementary and secondary pupils through on the development of social responsibility and democratic values. The activity involved 136 elementary/secondary school who were participated in the workshops for social responsibility development at 11 local communities. The Final Seminar took place in Serbia, with participation of 29 students from Montenegro, whose goal was facilitate new contacts between NGOs, institutions, formal or informal groups from the region, to strengthen the existing cross-border cooperation and to share information on participants’ successful projects, activities and action plans and best practices that will form the basis of future regional initiatives.
All project activity were followed with proper printed publications including 5.000 leaflets, 250 posters, 10.000 stickers, 500 notebooks and pencils, 200 files, 200 t-shirts and 400 copies of the project brochure that contains information on each of the topics addressed and materials created in the course of workshops.
