Evaluation of the Youth Empowered Through Inclusive Schools and Societies (YESS) Project
About
The Youth Empowered Through Inclusive Schools and Societies (YESS) project was a joint initiative implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kosovo1 from January 2024 to December 2025, funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) with a budget of USD 2.5 million.
Kosovo faces persistent ethnic tensions and social divisions, with young people often feeling disconnected from decision-making processes and having limited interactions with those from other communities. The project was designed to empower girls and boys, and young women and men, to become agents of change who promote tolerance, diversity and social cohesion within and between communities. The project aimed to contribute to two key United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) outcomes on inclusive social services and social cohesion promotion while also advancing towards Sustainable Development Goals 4, 6 and 10.
The project was implemented in 11 municipalities in Kosovo, including 4 Serbs-majority municipalities. It was structured around two outputs: Output 1 focused on strengthening capacities of schools and local authorities to foster peaceful, inclusive learning and community environments, while Output 2 focused on promoting sustainable youth-led initiatives and creating mechanisms for enhanced collaboration between young people and local actors in peacebuilding and community development.
