On the occasion of the extremely successful implementation of the “Program Y” methodology, the High Dental School of Sarajevo was declared the first “School of Excellence” in the Canton of Sarajevo at the CARE international Balkans organization’s solemn ceremony, which was held on December 8.
The Regional Director of CARE International Balkans Sumka Bučan stated that the Secondary Dental School from Sarajevo has trained more than 40 teachers, 400 peer educators, and 5,000 young people, within the project Young Men Initiative – Promoting Healthier Lifestyles among Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Challenging Gender Stereotypes III.
“Only when we take into account the fact that five thousand people changed their behavioral attitudes towards violence and equality, towards health, we have created a huge impact on society. These are five thousand people who will change this society, who will be parents, partners, colleagues at work, and collaborators. This is the impact on society that we want to achieve and create the conditions for young people to stay here”, said Bučan.
Director of the High Dental School, Elvira Jašarbašić, pointed out that the excellence achieved by this institution is based on scientifically proven programs for the prevention of violence and the development of healthy lifestyles among young people.
“The goal of this methodology is to reduce aggressive behavior among young people, emotional difficulties, and the development of positive behaviors. To us, excellence means pushing the boundaries, so we go beyond the physical and intellectual development of a young person, and enter the sphere of developing social and emotional skills, which are very important in the period of adolescence”, said Jašarbašić.
The Mayor of the Municipality Centar Srđan Mandić also attended the awarding ceremony.
“I am happy with the fact that the school located in the area of the Municipality of Centar received this award. Our mission in the Municipality of Centar is to be a Municipality for young people, especially at this time when, unfortunately, more and more young people are leaving our homeland”, said Mayor Mandić.
Almir Tanović, senior program officer of the Swiss Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Emina Osmanagić, director of the Institute for Population and Development, also addressed those present.
In partnership with the High Dental School and with the continuous support of the Ministry of Education of the Canton Sarajevo for the past 10 years, a large number of activities have been carried out. The purpose was to strengthen the school’s capacity to implement one of the world’s 12 best science-based educational programs for the prevention of violence and the promotion of healthy lifestyles “Program Y”.
Strengthening the capacity of the school and achieving the status of the „School of Excellence“ was possible thanks to the project Young Men Initiative – Promoting Healthier Lifestyles among Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Challenging Gender Stereotypes III, which is supported by the Government of Switzerland and CARE Germany and is carried out by the Institute for Population and Development (IPD) and CARE International Balkans.
