TIRANA, Feb 2 /ATA/ – Three Albanian schools have been selected to take part in the Regional Youth Cooperation Office’s (RYCO) “Superschools” programme, participating in intercultural exchanges focused on the “Sport for Development” (S4D) methodology, RYCO said on Monday.
RYCO said that students and teachers from twelve high schools across the Western Balkans have been selected to take part in RYCO Superschools exchanges and learn more how physical activity, sport, and play can be used to address important social topics.
Through the program, participants will learn how sport can support the prevention of violence, strengthen social cohesion, break down prejudices and promote peacebuilding, among other topics.
The three selected schools from Albania are “Shyqri Lakra” high school in Berat, “Ali Demi” high school in Vlora and the vocational secondary school of Cerrik.
According to RYCO, what sets them apart from other Superschools participants is their focus on Sport for Development (S4D) methodology. This method uses sport as a powerful tool for tackling important social topics. This is fun, accessible, cost-effective, but rather efficient tool that includes not just play and physical activity, but the reflection as well.
“To prepare for the implementation of this innovative approach, twenty-four teachers from these schools participate in the 5-day S4D training in Tirana, scheduled from 27 – 31 January 2026. The training will equip teachers (one coordination teacher and the other being a physical education teacher) with practical skills and knowledge that they can apply during the exchanges and in their future work with students,” RYCO said in its announcement.
“Superschools”, RYCO’s flagship program, is a regional secondary school exchange scheme that aims to support the peacebuilding and reconciliation processes in the Western Balkans through school-to-school projects. RYCO Superschools is part of the multi donor project called “Western Balkans School Exchange Scheme” jointly financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
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