In Albania, Changing Lives Through Education

As the school year comes to an end, many children are left either spending their days on the streets or stuck in difficult home environments. Amaro Tan offers a meaningful alternative through its summer programs, creating a safe and engaging space where children can enjoy their break in a positive way. With a mix of sports, games, educational activities, and more, the program gives young participants a chance to thrive during the summer months.

One of these initiatives is the Summer School program. While “summer school” often implies catching up on missed lessons, Amaro Tan takes a different approach. Held at the Amaro Tan center over a two-week period, the program is led by the same familiar teachers from the regular school year, who offer a variety of classes designed to spark children’s interests and enhance their learning. The goal goes beyond making up for academic gaps – it’s about encouraging creativity and exploration.

One of the options for the kids is cooking courses. They spend some time learning the different safety precautions to take in the kitchen – how to hold their fingers while they dice vegetables, laying ingredients into hot oil without getting it splashed back on them, etc. Then, they move on to how to combine ingredients to make delicious meals with the same types of ingredients they often would have in their homes.

Another course they have an opportunity to participate in is technology. In the computer lab, they learn their way around the operating system and how to use it, as well as different software, and spend some time playing educational games.

And we can’t forget the crafts! Thanks to teachers that can adapt the projects to any age group, many of the students are able to participate in various craft projects. From making playdough that they can mold into any shape they want to building and painting small models, there’s something for any skill set.

One of the best parts of the entire program is that it’s on a rotating schedule, so the children can pick and choose what interests – even if they have multiple – they have and dive deeper into how to increase their skill set.