Successes

Since opening the Learning Centers Network in 2008, there have been many direct and indirect educational and social benefits which can be seen across the four communities where we work. Directly or indirectly the 6,400 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians living in the 4 towns are positively affected. Children who attend the LCN are better prepared to enter school, pass from class to class, graduate and succeed academically. Below are just some of the benefits which have been realized:

Overall

• Of Kosovo’s approximately 50 minority students in university, seven work as tutors in the Centers. The Learning Center involvement is an important support to their university participation.

Fushë Kosova

• Secondary school attendance rates have jumped from 7 to 54 in Fushë Kosova since 2008. 30 plus secondary school students work in the Center.
• In Fushë Kosova, 1/3 of secondary school students are young women.
• Dropout rates over the two years of Center operation decreased dramatically, from 120 in 2007-2008 to 14 in 2009-2010.

Gracanica

• Primary school enrollment has more than tripled in Gracanica since the center’s opening in 2004 from 25 to 85 children.
• None of the children attending Gracanica Learning Center dropped out of primary school this year.
• Staff has been instrumental in registering children to start first grade. This year, all 16 eligible children were registered.
• This year seven Roma girls graduated from King Milutin primary school in Gracanica. This is not a small accomplishment. Over the previous twenty-five years, there haven’t even been seven girls graduate total.

Shtime

• Municipal preschool enrollment jumped from 0 to 8 this year. Parents’ understanding of the importance of early education is growing.
• Teachers request that we visit the community's children at home as they believe this to be a positive step into helping to bring the children to school.
• At the monthly mother’s meeting, it was recently reported that children are doing their homework at home and proudly sharing, when they return from the center, that the homework was done correctly.

Plemetina

• Only one child in Plemetina dropped out of school this past year
• Girls’ school attendance has increased and there are currently 58 girls in primary school
• 75% of all registered Roma children in Plemetina attend the learning center.