About the Project

The CORE-ED-ACADEMY -“Transformative Educational Strategies: Fostering Inclusion and Shared Values in Juvenile Justice through Dynamic Correctional Pedagogy and Specialist Professionalization, Empowered by the “LiberateSkills” Correctional Excellence Pact for Skills” Project strives to elevate the capabilities of higher education institutions in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, with the support of Romania and Greece. It aims to equip specialists with the skills to implement dynamic interventions that foster inclusion and common values in correctional settings, thereby supporting democracy and the rule of law.

This unique partnership, a fusion of public-private initiatives, brings together education, the labour market, enterprises, research hubs, and the learner's perspective. It seeks to redefine higher education institutions as lifelong learning hubs, benefiting not only students but also working professionals. The introduction of two pioneering curricula in correctional pedagogy, a first in the European space, focuses on equipping learners with 'pedagogy-first' interventions. This initiative addresses a culturally and historically relevant topic, uniting the partner countries in Balkans to enhance the preparation and competence of professionals dealing with minors and young offenders in contact with the law.

The project employs three key methodologies for success: DACUM approach workshops engaging employers and the labour market to identify current and foresight competencies; structured public hearings involving civil society, researchers, and public authorities to establish 4 Balkan Research Centres for Correctional Pedagogy joining the “LiberateSkills” Pact for Skills; and peer learning & mentoring between higher education staff from Western Balkan countries and 2 additional Balkan nations (Romania and Greece). This collaborative effort aims to develop regionally targeted research that is tailored to Balkan contexts, needs, cultures, and socio-political settings