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Save the date – ‘OriginAL’ launching Conference, December 11, 2021
Date: 08/11/2021
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GERMIN and the Global Albanians Foundation (GAF) are excited to announce OriginAL. OriginAL is our new joint program patterned on the idea of Birthright Israel, Birthright Armenia, and similar programs in other countries. We aim to provide an educational and cultural experience for Diaspora Youth that will strengthen their sense of ethnic identity, and create long-lasting connections, especially with their peers in our homeland countries.

Why OriginAL?

Youth are our future and most valuable resource.  If we invest in them wisely, all of our lives are enriched. We are ambitious to create a success story of the meaningful connection of thousands of young Albanians around the world with their countries of origin, and that story begins now with your support.

Who Will Participate in OriginAL?

OriginAL will launch in 2022 and we plan to bring at least 40 youth in the first year to Albania and Kosova. Our initial focus will be on youth interested in:

  • Entrepreneurship and Information Technology
  • Environment and Natural Resources; and
  • Arts and Culture.

What to Expect?

The conference will be hosted at the Accelevents online platform as we did last year with Diaspora Flet 2020, and will consist of panel discussions, exhibitions, virtual networking, and much much more. We will soon send you the registration details and agenda.

What’s Next?

You will receive more information from us this next month on social media and in newsletters as we are promoting OriginAL, and the December 11 Conference. We are looking forward to your participation then and for years to come along with thousands of others, and we thank you in advance for that.

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Success Story: Transforming Education Through Diaspora Mentorship
Empowering Educators with Cutting-Edge Technology In a small corner of Kosovo, a remarkable partnership between a diaspora expert and a high school has reshaped the way education integrates with technology. Shkëlqim Sina, a Senior Software Engineer based in Germany, brought his global expertise to the "Peer-to-Peer Diaspora Mentorship" program. Through Germin's matching efforts, he collaborated with the teachers of “Lutfi Musiqi” High School in Vushtrri, Sector Workforce Innovation Grantee of the PSWD, to drive impactful change. Together, they embarked on a mission focused on developing a joint project to develop an application for registering students’ absences at the School.   The Challenge Like many educational institutions in Kosovo, “Lutfi Musiqi” High School, faced challenges in adopting modern technological solutions to support their teaching and administrative tasks. Tracking student attendance was a cumbersome and time-consuming process, often prone to errors and inefficiencies. The school needed a practical, user-friendly digital solution that could be seamlessly integrated into their workflows.   The Solution Over 12 intensive mentoring sessions spanning May to July 2024, Mr. Sina introduced the high school teachers to .NET Core Web API, Entity Framework Core, and essential software development practices. The mentorship program focused on a collaborative project: developing an application to track student attendance.   Guided by Mr. Sina's expertise, the teachers:                Designed and built a robust application leveraging SQL Server for efficient data storage.                Learned advanced coding practices, including API documentation using Swagger and testing with Postman.                Implemented secure authentication and role-based authorization to ensure data privacy.   Key Outcomes The mentorship not only resulted in the successful development of the student attendance application but also equipped the teachers with the skills to sustain and expand their technological capabilities.   Teacher Fatime Azemi reflected on the experience: "We have successfully developed a student attendance application aimed at evidencing the number of students’ absences during the school year. The mentorship increased our knowledge of using .NET Core Web API, and we greatly benefited from Mr. Sina's professional expertise and cooperative approach. We are optimistic about the potential for future collaboration and will soon start using the developed application."   Teacher Adil Jusufi highlighted the broader impact: "This mentorship has provided us with technical and practical knowledge that will serve to advance our teaching methodology and improve communication with parents. This collaboration has been a big step towards improving education in our school."   The Impact The collaboration demonstrated the transformative power of diaspora engagement in education. By bridging global expertise with local needs, the program not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid the groundwork for long-term improvement.   The mentorship program equipped the teachers of “Lutfi Musiqi” High School with the knowledge and skills needed to develop a digital solution for tracking student absences. As a result, they are now prepared to adapt and implement the project, marking a significant step toward modernizing administrative processes and embracing digital tools in education.   This success story underscores the profound impact of connecting local educators with global expertise, proving that mentorship can truly transform ideas into lasting impact.   This activity is implemented within the framework of the USAID Private Sector-led Workforce Development Activity financed by USAID and implemented by IREX and GERMIN.  
Date: 17/01/2025
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