The intervention integrates and acts in a synergic manner with the main international support programs for the sector, acting on two related issues: the low quality of existing preschool services and limited access to the aforementioned services by children and families.

The new initiative aims to capitalize on the excellent results of Phase 1, extending them from the pilot schools to a larger number of schools. The exchange of know-how and expertise with Italian excellence is a central element of the intervention strategy and has been recognized by local actors as one of the main best practices of Phase 1.

The Government of Kosovo is committed, through the opening of new school facilities, to the implementation of a national plan for the extension of public educational services. The initiative has a complementary and synergic perspective with respect to government action, focusing on increasing the quality of such services aiming to remove one of the main obstacles to children's participation in pre-school education: the lack of quality education offered by services present in the territory.

Aim

• The aim is to increase opportunities for children in Kosovo to realise their potential human capital by providing inclusion and equal access to early childhood education, reduce unpaid care work and promote women's economic empowerment.

Objectives

• The overall objective of the initiative is to increase the opportunities for children in Kosovo to realize their human capital potential by providing access to quality pre-school education:
  • Professional training-updating aimed at increasing the skills of pre-school educational staff through the dissemination of the Reggio Emilia Approach.
  • Educational environments, aimed at the redevelopment of existing schools in a child-centered way, with the setting up of atelier spaces, a true peculiarity of the Reggio Emilia Approach, already successfully tested in the PEDAKOS pilot schools and with which a peer exchange action (school-school) is foreseen.
  • Education for sustainable development aimed at ensuring adequate support to MESTI in the creation of the first Educational Center for Reuse Materials in the country.
  • Public-Private Partnership aimed at ensuring the necessary support to MESTI in consolidation of the Collegium - National Council of Pre-school Institutions of Kosovo, through the promotion of pilot cooperation initiatives between public and non-public schools and the dissemination at national level of good practices tested in the REA beneficiary schools.

Funding Information

• Budget: Euro 1,000,000.00
• Grant amount: Euro 300,000.00
• Duration: The intervention has a total duration of 36 (thirty-six) months.

Expected Outcomes

• The change that the initiative aims to promote, namely inclusion and equality in access to quality pre-school education services and an increase in the participation rate in 0-6 education, is expected to be achieved through 4 results (outputs):
  • Preschool education staff in service know the Reggio Emilia Approach and are able to apply it.
  • The learning environments of the project's target preschools are developed according to a child-centred perspective.
  • The new Educational Center for Reuse Materials, inspired by the experience of REMIDA-Reggio Emilia, becomes a public center for the promotion of the culture of sustainability in schools.
  • The National Council of Pre-School Institutions of Kosovo is consolidated as an effective forum for dialogue and promotion of public-private partnership in early childhood services.

Eligible Activities

• Professional training/updating:
  • On-site training program on the Reggio Emilia Approach for preschool staff
  • Scholarship program for high-level training in Italy on the Reggio Emilia Approach.
• Educational environments:
  • Educational visits between pilot schools (Phase 1) and new beneficiary schools (Phase 2) for the exchange of good practices relating to 0-6 educational environments
  • Setting up new laboratory spaces in beneficiary schools.
• Education for sustainable development:
  • Technical assistance for the benefit of the personnel assigned to the Materials Reuse Education Centre
  • Setting up of the new Education Centre for the reuse of materials.
• Public-private partnership:
  • Technical and financial assistance to the National Council of Preschool Institutions of Kosovo (Collegium) for the implementation of pilot initiatives of public-private partnership in 0-6 services
  • National seminar for the dissemination of good practices.

Target Audience

• The direct beneficiaries of the initiative are:
  • At least 50 nursery schools, including public, private and managed by OSCs, will benefit from the training action (Component 1) and support for the modernization of educational environments.
  • 15 kindergartens already beneficiaries of the pilot project will be involved in a peer-to-peer exchange and in a strengthening of management and pedagogical skills.
  • MESTI, which will be guaranteed technical and financial assistance for the creation of the Education Centre for the Reuse of Materials.

Eligibility Criteria

• Only CSOs that, on the date of publication of the notice:
  • They are registered in the list referred to in art. 26, paragraph 3 of Law 125/2014;
  • Are not in debt to public administrations for certain, liquid and collectible debts, including debt situations arising from provisions for the revocation of contributions for projects promoted and/or entrusted and/or for humanitarian aid;
  • Are not in a state of bankruptcy, are not subject to insolvency or liquidation proceedings, or in which there is an agreement with creditors, or in which the activities are suspended, or any other similar situation provided for by national law;
  • Are in compliance with the rules governing the right to work of disabled people according to Italian law;
  • Are in compliance with the anti-mafia documentation, pursuant to Article 85 of Legislative Decree and subsequent amendments and submit the documentation necessary to obtain the issued anti-mafia certificate.

For more information, visit Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.