Mobile American Corner is a special initiative to showcase American Corners as part of the Embassy’s year-long strategy to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania. This initiative envisions pop-up ‘Traveling Corners’ that aim to bring American culture to young people in remote areas of Albania. ‘Mobile American Corner’ is a bus that transports resources and materials needed to create pop-up exhibitions while traveling across Albania (North, South and East).
The Mobile American Corner branded bus offered a variety of activities (educational, technological games, American films and music, civic engagement workshops and guest speakers about American values and history) which were combined with local events and celebrations (fairs, concerts, etc.). ). This project was realized during the first weeks of June. The Digital Youth Network was created with contacts from all participating youth in all cities to ensure a sustainable reach with ongoing opportunities and resources in cities and remote areas throughout Albania.
New Vision was responsible for the logistical aspects of the events, managing activities and coordinating with local institutions and small businesses. The first city was Lezha, which brought colorful tents with US-related games, technology games, stories and information about educational opportunities in the US. Lezha was followed by Koplik who welcomed Mrs. Yuri Kim, the United States ambassador to Albania. Ms. Kim joined the party, encouraging young people from Koplik to join the Mobile Corner’s efforts to get first-hand information about all the Embassy’s programs and opportunities.
Ambassador Kim admired the work of local artisans and watched a traditional dance performance from Malësia e Madhe Peshkopia was the next city, which had a great turnout from the city’s youth. The children also watched a movie and engaged in various technological games. Berat was our next adventure which was followed by a series of technological games, music and educational activities. Members of the US Special Forces Advisory Brigade made a special appearance and spoke to visitors who were interested in learning more about their military experience and service.
The next stop, Pogradec, had a special addition which was the city of Korça. In Pogradec we celebrated by the lake and spent fun moments with the locals. Our time in Korça was short but pleasant. There was music, games and lots of valuable information for the youth to engage in the Embassy’s programs. Permet was supposed to be the last stop, but due to the number of requests, the city of Gjirokastra was added to our list. Both cities gave us a warm welcome and had a great turnout. In Përmet we were able to organize a basketball match with the Përmet basketball team and players from Tirana.
In Gjirokastër there were folklore groups performing and small businesses joined our tents. We believe this tournament was a great success and an unforgettable experience for every volunteer and participant who made it possible. We gained so much knowledge about teamwork and the Embassy’s youth network is expanding day by day.
