Measure 1.2: Cross-border initiatives targeting the exchange of people and ideas to enhance the professional and civil society cooperation
Project title: Science and Culture Promotion Connecting People
Project budget:
| Project value | EU contribution | |
| Republic of Serbia | € 72,897.63 | € 61,751.58 |
| Montenegro | € 88,499.00 | € 74,709.00 |
| TOTAL | € 161,396.63 | € 136,460.58 |
Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: Grammar school Kraljevo
Beneficiary of funds in Montenegro: Coeducational school “17. septembar”, Žabljak
Area of implementation:
• Montenegro: Municipality of Žabljak
• Serbia: The town of Kraljevo
Project duration: 1/9/2012 – 31/8/2013
Project objectives: The overall objective of the project is to bring together the people, communities and economies of the border area to jointly participate in the development of a cooperative area, using its human, natural, cultural and economic resources and advantages. Specific goals of the project are:
• Strengthening cross border people-to-people interaction to reinforce scientific, educational, cultural and historical links and to share know-how and experience in areas of common interest and inclusion of children with special needs,
• Maintaining the high quality of the border area environment as an economic resource by cooperating in joint protection and exploitation initiatives and promoting healthy life style.
Activities and results of the project:
The project “Science and Culture Connecting People” is a logical continuation of the project “Together through Ecology and Sports towards Healthy Europe”, which was implemented within the first call for Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Serbia-Montenegro. This indicates the quality of the implementation of project activities, cooperation and achieved results. Programme activities and their implementation were designed by school teams of two partner schools. Professors, pupils and their parents, local communities and other friends of the school took part in the implementation.
In particular, 4 camps were organised within the project, namely two in Montenegro (Žabljak and Biogradska hill) and two in Serbia (Goč and Kopaonik). The camps provided education for participants with the aim to connect the newly obtained knowledge with lifestyle practices and real life situations. Also, a number of workshops addressing the ecology, cultural and historical ties, sports and healthy lifestyles were carried out.
Many visits to historical and historical monuments in Montenegro and Serbia were conducted. Furthermore, a total of 8 science festivals where the trained students were performing experiments in physics, chemistry and biology, proving that the science is accessible to everyone, were implemented. Special attention was drawn to science festivals for children with disabilities. Two festivals were organised, one for the pupils attending the Day Care Centre for children with disabilities “Tisa” in Bijelo Polje and the other in primary and secondary school for children with disabilities in Kraljevo. The experiments were tailor-made to suit the needs of children, and they enthusiastically participated in them. This activity was carried out with the aim to develop human nobility which, in fact, consists of mutual understanding, tolerance and respect for other people’s personalities and acceptance of diversity.
In addition, activities related to creating better conditions for teaching in two partner schools were also carried out. The cooperation between the two schools is enhanced, and so is the awareness of pupils on the importance of science in education and its impact on daily life. The ability of pupils to exchange the obtained knowledge is enhanced, and their level of awareness in the area of cultural and historical ties between the two regions is increased, along with the awareness of the importance of environmental protection, healthy food and sports. One of the achieved results is the participation of children with disabilities in certain project activities.
STATEMENTS FROM PROJECT PARTICIPANTS:
Živorad Bojović, Director of the Coeducational school “17. septembar”, Žabljak
“The realization of the IPA project “Promoting Science and Culture to Connect People” has allowed the school in Žabljak to achieve significant benefits relating to the improvement of the conditions for the implementation of the teaching, while students and professors of the school have gained important knowledge and experience, not only in various subject fields, but also working with children with special needs. It has been a real pleasure to see the beaming smiles and the delight on the faces of children with special needs.
The students of our school and their parents have been full of praise for what they learned during the realization of the project. At several parent-teacher conferences and at the Parents’ Council, parents especially praised the benefits achieved through this project. I am positive that this project has considerably strengthened the authority and the role of the school in the community.”
Vladan Pejović, Professor of Physics in the Grammar school Kraljevo
“Two events left a huge impression on me during the realization of the project “Promoting Science and Culture to Connect People”: the visit to developmentally disabled children in Kraljevo and Bijelo Polje, and the visit to the mosque in Novi Pazar. The joy we gave these children was an unparalleled experience, which reinforced our wish to ensure that more attention is given to these children and to the problems they are facing every day. The visit to the mosque in Novi Pazar was an amazing experience for all of us. As never before, these two events strengthened my belief that we are all equal before God (whatever his name may be), only the circumstances of how we came into this world are different. This is something that should be insisted on and taught to the young generations, so that this world would be a much more beautiful place to live in.”
