Let’s Grow Up Together program for promoting health and personal development in children from grades 1 to 4 is based on the approach of enhancing life skills. This includes developing self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, stress management, critical thinking, and many other skills that will empower children and help them face risks and choose a healthy lifestyle.

During the 2023/2024 school year, the Let’s Grow Up Together program was implemented in nine elemetary schools in the Sarajevo Canton, specifically in: Vrhbosna Elementary School, Saburina Elementary School, Second Elementary School Hrasnica, 6th March Elementary School Hadžići, Hrasno Elementary School, Osman Nuri Hadžić Elementary School, Mirsad Prnjavorac Elementary School, Šip Elementary School, Mustafa Busuladžić Elementary School, and Aleksa Šantić Elementary School. A total of 584 students participated in the workshops, which are conducted by teachers as part of their regular classes. In addition to improving their skills, the program also strengthened class cohesion and dynamics, leading to children feeling more comfortable in the school environment.

The best indicator of what teachers think about the program is the fact that all of them stated they would continue implementing the program in their classes in the next school year. Below, you can read the observations of teacher Jasmina Medić from Saburina Primary School:

The workshops were very interesting for the children; they looked forward to all the activities. The workshops are rich in different strategies and very dynamic. All children are involved in the process, and there are no passive observers.

Teacher Amila Kokor from Šip Primary School also shared her observations:

All the workshops are designed to spark children’s imagination and creativity, and everyone is interested in the workshops. The materials are adapted to the students’ age. By conducting the workshops, students develop life competencies and skills. The advantage is that they work as a team, where they respect each other and develop empathy.

Life skills programs have proven to be an extremely successful approach in health promotion and preventive work in schools. They provide a solid foundation for various specific areas of prevention, and it is therefore of great importance to continue such programs, thereby preventing various risky behaviors in children from an early age.