BOOK ON ALBANIAN ALPS IN HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOLS
Preparation and installation of information boards
High School “Democracia”, Vermosh (Malesi e Madhe, Albania)
A reform of school textbooks, a few years after the fall of the totalitarian system in Albania, offered primarily pre-university students the opportunity to be informed at a relatively focused level about the geographical area in which they lived and were educated. Despite the unwavering dedication of parents, grandparents, and many teachers, children still struggle to form a well-argued awareness, supported by historical and scientific data, of their identity in the context of the space they inherit from the past. The challenge becomes even greater when the space happens to be a deep mountain valley like Cem or Vermosh – areas that have been isolated and deprived for centuries of economic development and progress.
Therefore, in order to contribute, even if just a little, to the formation of this awareness among younger generations, GO2Albania NGO has begun to practice several methods of non-formal education in schools in the Kelmend area. In addition to the engagement of several students from this area in summer schools, environmental hours, and training organized in Kelmend recently, GO2 has started equipping several schools with a series of boards, named “Book of Albanian Alps,” with the support of the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) and Tramontana IV project.
By embracing the extraordinary natural heritage, cultural traditions, and the rich history of the region, the information provided on these boards is focused on the entire National Park “Albanian Alps”– in Malësi e Madhe Municipality – in Kelmend Administrative Unit – and up to the respective villages, such as Vermosh, Lepushe, Nikç, etc. Installed so far in the Tamare and Vermosh schools, the series of 12 boards also offer detailed topographic maps enriched with numerous elements of the natural and built environment in this area.
Installed in December 2024 and warmly welcomed by the teaching staff, the boards, written in both Albanian and English, have attracted great interest from students, becoming a good alternative for the formation of their awareness and identity.
