The Microsoft Corporation has named the Green School in Pristina, Kosovo the first Innovative Pathfinder School in the Balkan region. The award recognizes schools that use technology and innovative teaching approaches to equip students with 21st century skills. The Green School joins an elite group of only 65 such schools selected to receive this distinction in 2012.

USAID helped build the Green School, named in part for its eco-friendly design. Since the school’s opening in 2011, USAID’s Basic Education Program (BEP) www.bep-ks.org has provided science and technology labs and a modern library. BEP also has provided training courses to teachers from the school.

BEP staff assisted Green School Director Fahrije Retkoceri in the Pathfinder School application process, which included written and video documentation, interviews with school leadership, and on-site assessments.

As a Pathfinder School, the Green School will participate in the 2012 Partners in Learning Global Forum, where Ms. Retkoceri and one other school member will meet international colleagues to share ideas and best practices. The goal is to create new learning models that inspire students to direct their own education, as well as prepare them for a rapidly changing, connected world.

Green School staff will also participate in online mentorship team meetings and attend Virtual University workshops organized by Microsoft. It will use Microsoft’s Partners in Learning School Research tool as part of its assessment strategy.

Pathfinder Schools are selected because they can serve as regional exemplars for integrating innovative teaching and learning into the whole school environment. Joining this select group of schools is a significant step for both the Green School and the Government of Kosovo, which jointly funds the Basic Education Program with USAID. The USAID Basic Education Program is implemented by FHI 360, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and Kosova Education Center (KEC). Additional information about program activities can be found at www.facebook.com/BEPKosovo.