Open Call for RYCO Superschools Program

The aim is to facilitate engagement of secondary schools in the pervasive processes of regional cooperation by serving as a platform for networking opportunities with other secondary schools from around the region with a strong programmatic focus on RYCO related thematic areas.

The current RYCO Superschools edition, 2024-2026, aims to bring together 2 600 young people through two open calls (3rd and 4th Superschools open calls) and support 95 Superschools bilateral partnerships. The exchanges will be carried out by 380 teachers that will have their capacities to design and implement quality youth exchanges improved through the Superschools program capacity building activities.

“RYCO Superschools” is RYCO’s flagship program and it 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 multidonor 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).

Pillars

• Intercultural Learning
  • Overall goal of the Superschools exchanges is for the young people to gain intercultural competencies as a basis for reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts in the region.
• Local Community Engagement
  • Local community, in Superschools terms, is a community (city, village, municipality etc.) where the school is located and where a group of people is organized around common values.
• Meaningful Youth Participation and Co-Ownership
  • With the new edition of the Superschools 2024-2026 a topic in special focus (a so-called horizontal priority) will be meaningful youth participation and co-ownership.
• Homestays
  • With the Superschools 2024-2026 edition they want to have a greater focus on implementing the concept of homestays as they have proven ability for securing a more impactful exchange experience for the students.

Benefits

• Mentorships and Support to develop the idea into a fully designed project.
• They will have the chance to work on their exchange ideas and further develop them and finalize the full Exchange Programme Agendas and the accompanying Budget Forms,
• Possibility for Additional Exposure and Visibility toward regional and local stakeholders and media,
• Networking and Opportunity to Share Best Practices with schools from the region,
• Funds to fully cover the costs of the project,
• Support for Managing the funds.

Funding Information

• Each partnership applying for LOT 1 will be financed with approximately 13,700.00 EUR which will be managed jointly with RYCO.
• Each partnership applying for LOT 2 will be financed with approximately 14,700.00 EUR which will be managed jointly with RYCO.
• Maximum duration 6 days.

Eligible Costs

• Travel costs
• Insurance
• Accommodation
• Visa
• Administrative costs
• Subsistence costs
• Activity costs

Expectations

• Active Participation: actively participate in the activities organized within the Superschools exchange scheme.
• Sign The Partnership Agreement: The schools will sign Partnership Agreement with RYCO as a legal basis for their participation in the scheme.
• Support The Monitoring and Evaluation: the selected schools will be required to use online evaluation forms (for both teachers and students) for their activities which will be provided by RYCO.
• Safety and Protection: If supported, the beneficiaries must align their activities with the RYCO Safety and Protection Guidelines and follow the procedure of reporting issues. More to be found in a separate document called RYCO Safety and Protection Guidelines.
• Reporting: The selected schools will be required to submit an exchange report, no later than 15 calendar days after the completion of each exchange by using RYCO templates annexed to the partnership agreement.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Superschools, as defined by the RYCO Strategy, targets:
  • Secondary schools across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Serbia),
  • Encompassing various types of education profiles, such as grammar schools, vocational schools, art schools, mixed schools, schools for students with disabilities etc,
  • Both public and private. To summarize, in order to apply the school must:
    • Be a secondary school. Please note that schools which are registered both as elementary and secondary schools are eligible to apply but can only involve high school students as participants of the project,
    • Established and operating within the Western Balkan Contracting Parties (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia),
    • Be registered as a secondary school for at least one year.
• Superschools Partnerships:
  • Two secondary schools coming from two different RYCO Contracting Parties form a Superschools partnership.
• Superschools Teachers:
  • The teachers are vital to the success and impact of the Superschools program and RYCO mission in general.
  • The Superschools program recognizes the essential role of teachers, as they are enablers and crucial for a more comprehensive outreach towards young people.

For more information, visit RYCO.