As part of the youth gambling prevention program Who Actually Wins?, training sessions for new program implementers were held simultaneously in Sarajevo and Tuzla from January 22 to 24, 2025. The expert training team consisted of professional associates from NARKO-NE, as well as external collaborators trained to implement the program and conduct training for trainers.
The training was attended by professional associates and teachers from high schools who will work in pairs to conduct workshops for students, as well as lectures for teachers and parents. The program aims to increase young people’s knowledge about games of chance, enhance their socio-emotional skills, and develop responsible behavior when engaging in gambling activities.
The program is implemented in high schools in Sarajevo Canton and Tuzla Canton, and this training has expanded the base of implementers (now totaling 72 in both cantons), allowing more schools to be included in the upcoming period.
Participants were introduced to a manual that provides a detailed breakdown of the workshops they will conduct with young people, along with the theoretical foundations related to gambling issues, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and globally. Topics covered included behavioral addictions, the gambling industry, youth exposure, consequences, and other key aspects relevant to working with young people. The NARKO-NE Association launched the Who Actually Wins? program in the 2021/2022 school year in Sarajevo Canton and in 2023/2024 in Tuzla Canton. The training also featured presentations of evaluation results collected so far.
The intensive training prepared new implementers for both theoretical and practical work with young people. One of the participants, Azra Pudavdić, a social pedagogue from the Teočak Mixed Secondary School, shared her impressions:
I am extremely satisfied with the training concept and the educators for the information and skills they provided, which we can apply in our practical work with students. I was surprised by the data presented regarding the number of students—young people, adolescents—who are involved in gambling. I believe that the students I will be conducting workshops with will appreciate the program; everything we learned over the past three days includes practical skills and solid theoretical knowledge that they can apply in their daily lives.
*The implementation of the program is supported by: The Institute for Youth Development KULT, the Ministry of Education and Science of Tuzla Canton, the Pedagogical Institute of Tuzla Canton, the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation at the University of Tuzla, the Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education of Sarajevo Canton, and the Ministry of Education of Sarajevo Canton.
Azra Halilović
