Mary Ward Loreto Foundation (Albania)
Mary Ward Loreto Foundation is an organization aiming to eradicate human trafficking supporting people to reach their full potential. We address community issues through giving hope through strong advocacy, and direct services but also through the application of civic engagement methodologies.
We strongly believe that long-term change can only be brought about when community members themselves become agents of change. Likewise, the process for further democratization of public institutions can only be achieved through the commitment and active participation of youth and public servants in this democratization.
We are undertaking further work to achieve lasting systemic change through a series of “service-learning “ projects. Service learning is an approach that equips young individuals with essential interpersonal and civic skills through participation in training and real-world application.
Contact: aferditagjoni07@gmail.com
MIOS (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
International Association “Interactive Open Schools” since its inception supports schools, teachers, and other stakeholders in their efforts to transform the education process into an effective learning and teaching environment with the children at the center of the activity. We started our work in 2004 from the will of teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia and our first steps were about interculturality and cohesion between teachers from three countries.
Our primary focus is on the teaching and learning process within the school, and how this process can be experiential, engaging for children (students), and impactful for their holistic development. We offer diverse training for teachers, school management, the parent community within the school, and the local community (in partnership with the school) across Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond. Also, we offer networking events, consultancy, and other support to schools. In essence, we promote values of participative democracy, inclusion, diversity, and creativity, and the approaches and methods to teaching we offer reflect these values. For example, we offer training on cooperative learning, project-based learning, and Service-Learning – methods that support high participation/engagement, co-creation, and connection.
Service-Learning pedagogy offers deep and impactful learning experiences for students, teachers, and the community thus we are promoting and actively disseminating it in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009. Over 100 schools and 1000 teachers participated in our program Service-Learning – learning through engagement.
Contact: muios@ioskole.net or cee.sl.award@oiskole.net
TOKA – Organizata Kosovare për Talent dhe Arsim (Kosovo)
TOKA’s mission is to accelerate social change in Kosovo by investing in its youth. TOKA focuses on youth from disadvantaged communities who struggle to reach their full potential due to ethnic, socio-economic, or other circumstances and focuses on unlocking young people’s full potential so they can gain knowledge, skills and values and become motivated, active citizens of their community and of society at large. TOKA’s educational and youth development programs – tested and proven by more than 25,000 young girls and boys – use long-term volunteering, experiential and service-learning learning as powerful platforms that enable these youngsters to grow and empower.
Contact: vullnetarizmiedukativ@toka-ks.org, Facebook Instagram
Forum MNE (Montenegro)
Forum MNE is a organization for youth that works on the development of youth work and youth policy through non-formal education since 2002. Forum MNE evolved from an international project (PRONI Institute for Social Education of Youth and Forum Syd) into a local civil society organization, registered in March 2007. Our figures so far show 21 years of work, more than 36.000 young people who have gone through our programs, 87 implemented projects and 384 youth workers and activists.
Guided by the vision: A peaceful and just society with young active citizens contributing to its development, Forum MNE implements all programs in accordance with its 4 strategic directions:
• Welfare and well-being of young people
• Youth and solidarity, cooperation and cohesion
• Youth and healthy environment
• Activism and participation of young people in the democratic life of society
Ongoing project are in filed of: development and recognition of youth work and policy, service learning, youth employability, building youth resilience to risk behaviors, entrepreneurship, media and digital literacy, community development etc.
Contact: montenegro@forum-mne.com
The Association Center for Research, Education and Development – RED Center (North Macedonia)
The Association “Center for Research, Education and Development – RED Center” from Skopje (hereinafter referred to as the Association) is a voluntary, non-profit, independent, non-governmental and non-partisan association of citizens, formed by the free association of citizens for the purpose of realizing, protecting and harmonizing their interests and values for development of education, civil society, the participation of people from marginalized groups, human rights, as well as for the purpose of carrying out research activities and activities to encourage individual and organizational development, the economic development of the territory of the Republic of Macedonia and beyond, in accordance with the Constitution and The law.
The vision of the association is a society in which citizens participate actively and responsibly, realize their own and organizational potentials and guarantee human rights and freedoms. The mission of the association is to create and support opportunities for growth and development of citizens, organizations and institutions in R. Macedonia based on relevant and current research findings and needs assessments in the field of education, the labor market and civil society in general.
Contact: maja.cvetanoska14@gmail.com
Leaders for Education, Activism, and Development – LEAD (North Macedonia)
Leaders for Education, Activism, and Development (LEAD) is a civil society organization based in Skopje, North Macedonia, founded with the vision of achieving the 8th ladder of participation. Through hands-on programs and partnerships with schools, municipalities, and other civil organizations, LEAD creates meaningful learning experiences that prepare young people not only to succeed academically but also to lead change in their communities.
LEAD began formally incorporating Service Learning into its educational programming in 2018. The initial phase focused on testing Service Learning models in 3 selected schools, with a strong emphasis on linking curriculum content to local community challenges.
In 2023, we launched a structured national initiative aimed at promoting the approach across 10 more schools. One of the standout initiatives from the 2024 was awarded Second Place in the 2024 Regional Service Learning Award (RSLA).
By 2024, Service Learning had become a central pillar of LEAD’s educational approach. Last year, LEAD supported another round of 5 Service Learning projects. The initiatives ranged from environmental clean-up campaigns, engaging vulnerable youth in cooking classes, building web-site for CSO that works with people with disabilities etc.
Plans for 2025 include a new cohort of 5 schools that will received funds for implementing Service Learning project.
Contact: info@lead.org.mk
Fundatia Noi Orizonturi (Romania)
Fundatia Noi Orizonturi/New Horizons Foundation (NHF) is a Romanian NGO founded in 2000 to promote top-quality experiential education models that advance life skills among youth as a means for sustainable development. New Horizons Foundation Romania contributes, through education, to empowering children and youth to lead and produce positive social changes in Romania and across the world. We believe in a society in which children and teenagers grow up in fertile soil, fulfill their potential, and use it to develop the community and the world they live in. Our mission is to innovate and support models of experiential education, providing youth leaders, teachers, and schools with the tools to help youth to become involved, responsible, and courageous agents of change. New Horizons Foundation has been using Service-Learning for more than 22 years as the basic methodology in the IMPACT program, a model of youth extracurricular clubs that use service-learning and experiential education to promote youth positive development and social engagement. Since 2019 we have developed the service-learning into the classroom program that encourages and capacitates schools and teachers in Romania to use service-learning in the classroom from kindergarten to high school level.
Contact: comunicare@noi-orizonturi.ro
Selegro (Romania)
Selegro, which stands for Serve, Learn, Grow, Romania, is a Romanian organization established in 2022 in partnership with CLAYSS and MIOS and with the backing of the members of the Regional Network.
Selegro aims to enable schools to use the Service-Learning framework for meaningful and relevant learning, to equip and empower students to initiate and lead projects that have a positive impact in the community, to design, through collaboration, meaningful environments and tools to support SL methodology in the classroom.
We also aim to advance and formalize Service-Learning in Romania through training, mentoring, evaluation, and certification programs. Additionally, together with New Horizons Foundation, we coordinate the National Service-Learning Award.
Selegro will play a crucial role in building a network of students who undertake Service-Learning projects, both nationally and internationally. Currently Selegro is a partner in international teams such as: The Regional Service Learning Award, The Central and South-European Service Learning Network, and SLESON – the European SL Network for Schools and Organizations.
contact: www.selegro.ro, florentina@selegro.ro
Platforma dobrovoľníckych centier a organizácií (Slovakia)
The Platform of Volunteer Centers and Organizations is the national volunteer center. As part of volunteerism education, it creates conditions for the dissemination and implementation of a service-learning strategy. It offers accredited service-learning education in child and youth education and training for volunteering, recognizes schools that are exemplary in volunteering education, and forms partnerships with state and local authorities.
Contact: info@dobrovolnictvo.sk Facebook Instagram
Association for Civil Society Development SMART (Croatia)
Association for Civil Society Development SMART since founded in July 1999, supports the development of civil society organizations (CSOs) and local communities, connects diverse stakeholders, develops volunteerism, service-learning and encourages active citizen engagement. In its work, SMART combines non-formal education with consulting, awareness-raising, and public advocacy. SMART extensively collaborates with numerous civil society organizations, public institutions and local and regional governments, guided by the principles of responsibility, active inclusion and respect for diversity.
SMART’s primary beneficiaries are non-profit organizations, mainly civil society organizations. We provide support in different areas of non-profit management, volunteer program development and management and service – learning development. After organizations, other beneficiaries include citizens, volunteers and young people. SMART’s been active in the field of service – learning for the last 7 years, providing educational activities, support and mentoring for youth workers, teachers and young people in developing and carrying out their service-learning projects.
Contact: smart@smart.hr
Národní asociace dobrovolnictví (Czech Republic)
The National Association of Volunteering (NAD) in the Czech Republic serves as an umbrella organization uniting volunteer centers, organizations engaging volunteers, children and youth, and various volunteer programs. Within service-learning, NAD actively promotes its integration into both formal and non-formal education. This involves developing methodologies, training educators, and fostering connections between schools and non-profit organizations to cultivate impactful and mutually beneficial projects.
Contact: info@nadobrovolnictvi.cz