UP TO YOUTH MOONSHOT CVE FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT

The five-year activity aims to address youth vulnerable to social exclusion by mobilizing and engaging youth in meaningful ways to effect positive change. Up to Youth works with youth aged 15 to 24 years old, targeting both in-school and out-of-school youth with age-appropriate activities, with a focus on marginalized youth, particularly those underserved by current and past youth-focused initiatives. The activity emphasizes working with youth who are grappling with unaddressed stress and trauma, or vulnerable to developing risky behaviors, including extreme poverty, exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) and other violence, lack of employment, non-majority ethnic status, and trouble in school. Up to Youth also makes concerted efforts to reach youth with disabilities (YWD), a group that are historically excluded from education and community-based programming. The activity applies an evidence-based approach to youth learning, equipping youth with the skills they need to demonstrate agency in leading community asset mapping, analyzing data to identify youth-related challenges or priorities in their community, and working with other youth and local stakeholders to design and implement solutions. The Up to Youth activity has three interconnected and mutually reinforcing objectives, grounded in a Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach: Objective 1, Mobilize Youth to be forces for positive change; Objective 2, Develop and demonstrate life/soft skills among youth; and Objective 3, Develop, build, and support resilience partners in fostering an environment for youth to engage in a positive and meaningful way. The activity will be implemented in nine communities, consisting of three clusters of nine municipalities, including Hani i Elezit/Elez Han, Kaçanik/Kačanik, Viti/Vitina, Mitrovicë Jugore/Južna Mitrovica, Vushtrri/Vučitrn, Skënderaj/Srbica, Istog/k, Klinë/a, and Gjakovë/Đakovica. Throughout the project, Moonshot CVE delivered activities across the Up to Youth project's three objectives, working closely with the Up to Youth Chief of Party and project staff. The COVID-19 pandemic developed during the contract cycle, impacting planning and implementation processes, but ultimately did not adversely affect project outcomes. Moonshot CVE's project staff visited Kosovo in June 2019 to take part in an Up to Youth orientation and strategy workshop, delivering presentations on Moonshot's technical tools and methodologies, including the Tracker and the Redirect Method. The Tracker is a tool developed by Moonshot CVE to track online search behavior in real-time and to high geographical specificity, preserving the anonymity of individual users. The Redirect Method was developed by Moonshot CVE in partnership with Google, using public, open-source data to connect individuals with counter-narratives and alternative content. Throughout the project, Moonshot CVE's project staff liaised regularly with the Up to Youth Chief of Party and worked closely with Up to Youth project staff to ensure the successful delivery of activities. The Up to Youth activity aims to equip youth with the skills they need to demonstrate agency in leading community asset mapping, analyzing data to identify youth-related challenges or priorities in their community, and working with other youth and local stakeholders to design and implement solutions. The activity will be implemented in nine communities, consisting of three clusters of nine municipalities, and will focus on marginalized youth, particularly those underserved by current and past youth-focused initiatives.