Preschool children, primary and secondary school students, as well as university students from the Roma and Egyptian communities, will receive additional educational support over the next four months through three projects implemented in Berane, Nikšić, and Podgorica by Help Montenegro and the NGO Roditelji (Parents).
The projects, funded by the Roma Education Fund (REF), are aimed at supporting members of the Roma community to facilitate the inclusion of children into society — from preschool through primary and secondary education, all the way to university studies. The goal is to support all categories of young Roma, along with their parents, in becoming more effectively and practically integrated into the educational system at all levels. This will serve as a base for their more effective inclusion into society and help break the cycle of poverty, which is partly caused by, among other things, low levels of education, leading to poor socio-economic status for many — if not most — Roma citizens.
Some of the objectives specifically aimed at preschool and early school-age children from the Roma and Egyptian (RE) community focus on improving access to kindergartens, increasing parental engagement in early learning, enhancing school enrollment and retention, and improving educational achievement among Roma children in primary schools.
When it comes to projects targeting high school and university students, specific activities include mentorship, additional classes, career counseling, guidance for enrolling in higher education, as well as IT and digital literacy classes, all of which will provide concrete support for skill development and overcoming various challenges.
As RE students in primary school already benefit from RE mediators who assist them in learning, the REF projects implemented by The Parents and Help also envision the provision of teaching assistants and mentors for high school and university students from the Roma community. These roles are intended to help students better master their curriculum and more easily orient themselves in their career paths. To this end, a two-month paid internship and additional IT and digital literacy classes are also planned for high school and university students.
REF, Help, and the NGO The Parents (Roditelji), together with RE mediators, expect support and call upon all relevant educational institutions in Podgorica, Berane, and Nikšić to join forces in enabling easier and more effective access to education at all levels for young Roma men and women — and to ensure not just declarative, but real equal inclusion and opportunity.
The projects are financed by the Roma Education Fund (REF) within the framework of the “EU Regional Action for Roma Education: Increased Support for Education and Opportunities for Roma Students in the Western Balkans and Turkey (RARE), Phase II.”
Link to register for educational workshops for children of preschool and early school age from RE communities (Podgorica, Nikšić and Berane):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiEMn7NJg95jDDG9xzqkHe4H9872EEf3P2godYFFxSZ9Xg4w/viewform?usp=sharing
Link to register for educational workshops for high school students from the RE community (Podgorica, Nikšić and Berane):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaeI3SBisYggWetXGCmJyBSoTiRV1CIRdIxO_U60_18UaLbg/viewform?usp=sharing
Link to register for educational workshops for students from the RE community (Podgorica, Nikšić and Berane):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5IGwjlM1G4HcyidV20fXO1MEHFpwVhx8cPrYQfb6biapirw/viewform?usp=sharing
