“Schools as Community Centers” Pilot

The Public Affairs Office of the US Embassy in Tirana, Albania, pending on availability of funds, announces a notification of funding opportunity (NOFO) to support the implementation of “Schools as Community Centers” Pilot. We are seeking for proposals for the development and implementation of a project, which will serve to address the most pressing issues related to radicalization and violent extremism among youth and other vulnerable communities. The project should design and implement in a pilot format the “school as community center” model, as an effective community outreach and engagement mechanism in countering violent extremism. The project should identify a region among the most problematic areas with regard to radicalization and violent extremism to pilot the model “school as community center”. Through this model, the project would develop partnerships with a local school, cultural centers, regional education directorate, municipality, and other local authorities including law enforcement, to designate appropriate spaces in target communities for engagement with the youth and the public. Joint use agreements with partner organizations and regional education directorate will ensure sustained operation of the center. Tailored programs and interventions will address violent extremism drivers, specific to those localities. Upon the completion of this project, the established community center will serve as the basis to expand the model in other regions of the country. This project ties in with the Albanian Government’s community outreach and engagement national strategic priority in countering violent extremism, which encourages critical thinking, civic participation, and promotes values of tolerance through education.