The fourth Kosovsko Pomoravlje Summer School has come to a successful close. This year, we brought together 40 children from Kosovo and Metohija in Štrpce, beneath the Šar Mountains, with the goal of giving them seven days filled with learning, friendship, play, time in nature, and new experiences.
Thanks to your donations, we raised €15,000 together to make this year’s Summer School possible
This funding covered the entire program: accommodation and meals for the children, materials and supplies for workshops, T-shirts, field trips, outdoor activities, instructors’ fees, and all other organizational expenses.
Seven Days of Working and Learning with Children
From the very beginning, we wanted the Summer School to be a thoughtfully organized summer program for children. Our goal was for it to be more than a school trip or simply a few days of fun. We wanted it to be a dedicated and carefully designed experience where children could learn and grow from morning until evening — a place that nurtures freedom of spirit, togetherness, a love of learning and creativity, and a connection to Serbian heritage.
We wanted the children to feel safe, free, and at home — right here, in Kosovo and Metohija. This is where they live and grow up, and where we want them to develop a sense of belonging, joy, and community. That is why the natural surroundings of Štrpce became one of our most important classrooms. The NTC workshops were held outdoors. With notebooks and supplies in hand, we would head to a meadow, a mountain stream, or a natural spring.
Through movement, associations, questions, challenges, and play, the children learned in a way that felt natural and engaging to them. It encouraged them to participate actively, think, cooperate, and enjoy discovering something new.
Our collaboration with the NTC Learning Program developed by Dr. Ranko Rajović was once again an important part of the Summer School.
What We Did
The program was designed to give the children the opportunity to explore different areas over seven days and discover topics they may not encounter in their everyday lives.
This year’s program included:
- morning walks in nature and outdoor stretching
- NTC workshops with notebooks exploring countries around the world, as well as chemistry experiments for children
- a lecture titled “Young Archaeologists and the Code of Chivalry”
- a workshop about the Netherlands and good manners led by our volunteer from the Netherlands
- music workshops
- creative workshops, including making bookmarks, bracelets, and picture frames
- sports workshops, including dodgeball, a water obstacle course, football, and cap games
- a trip to Prizren and the Monastery of the Holy Archangels
- fun activities, NTC chess, NTC cards, the Balance Stone challenge, and a treasure hunt
- evening activities, a talent show, an outdoor night cinema, and an NTC quiz
Every day brought something different. One day, the children learned and solved NTC challenges outdoors. The next, they explored archaeology, followed by music, sports, or the cultures of other countries. On the feast of Saint Elijah, we attended the Divine Liturgy together in Štrpce.
It was important to us to show the children how fascinating and diverse the world can be, while also showing them that learning can be a source of joy, play, and discovery.
Teachers, Volunteers, and the Kind of Care Children Remember
Once again, the Summer School was made possible by people who worked with the children with dedication, patience, and responsibility. Our instructors and volunteers were not there simply to lead a workshop. They spent the days with the children — talking, playing, walking, learning, and sharing all those small moments that mean so much to them.
That is at the heart of our Summer School: being there for children and giving them more than a full schedule of activities. We want the adults around them to be people who see them, listen to them, encourage them, and guide them.
That is why this program matters to us. It gives children knowledge, friendship, and freedom, but also the feeling that someone genuinely cares about them and is investing time and effort in their future.
Prizren and the Monastery of the Holy Archangels
One of the highlights of this year’s Summer School was the trip to Prizren and the Monastery of the Holy Archangels.
Field trips are an important part of the program because they allow children to discover the place where they live, its history, culture, and spiritual heritage. What they learn about in books suddenly becomes a real place, an image, and a personal experience. In Prizren, we visited the Church of the Virgin of Ljeviša, the Church of Saint George, the Seminary, and the Monastery of the Holy Archangels.
This year’s visit to Prizren was made even more special by Professor Marko Aleksić, who gave a lecture on Emperor Dušan and the Holy Archangels right there at the monastery. This allowed the children to experience archaeology, history, and the code of chivalry in a place that speaks so powerfully of that heritage.
For many children, trips like this become some of their most memorable experiences. Some of them rarely have the opportunity to travel and see their home region from such a different perspective.
A Talent Show, Movie Night, and Time Together
The evenings were reserved for friendship and activities we could enjoy together. We organized a talent show where the children had the chance to share what they know, love, and enjoy doing. There was singing, dancing, laughter, nervousness, courage, and plenty of encouragement.
Moments like these often show best how quickly children open up and form strong bonds. We also organized a night-time movie screening for all the children in Štrpce, along with an NTC quiz and games that encouraged them to spend the evening together, away from screens.
Learning to Care for the Place Where We Stay
We also wanted the Summer School to encourage the children to take responsibility for their surroundings. That is why we dedicated part of the program to cleaning up an area in Štrpce.Together, we cleaned and organized the space and talked about how we should leave every place we visit at least as we found it — and, if possible, even better. We want the children to leave the Summer School with the understanding that their actions can make a positive contribution to the community where they live.
The Final Day and What Remains After the School Ends
At the end of the program came certificates, thank-you notes, tears, and conversations about everything we had experienced. We heard which workshops the children enjoyed most. We heard stories about new friendships, questions about when the next Summer School would be, and messages from parents telling us how much the experience had meant to their children.
The impressions of our instructors and volunteers are just as important to us. The Summer School continues to grow every year, and we want each new edition to be even better, richer, and more meaningful.
After welcoming our fourth generation of children, we can say that this program now has its own continuity and recognizable spirit. For the children, it is becoming a place they look forward to returning to.
Thank You for Being Part of the 4th Summer School
Everyone who donated or supported the program in any way was part of these seven days. Thanks to you, the children were able to come to Štrpce. They made new friends and created lasting memories. They learned about the world, the people around them, their heritage, and themselves.
Thanks to you, parents did not have to worry about whether they could afford to give their children an experience like this.
Thank you for recognizing that children from Kosovo and Metohija need this kind of support. Not something occasional, not something done along the way, and not simply entertainment, but dedicated, organized, and meaningful work with children.
On behalf of the children, their parents, and the entire team of the Humanitarian Organization Kosovsko Pomoravlje, thank you for your trust and support.
We look forward to seeing you at the next Summer School, with a new generation of children and the same desire to give them something truly valuable — together.
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