On 29 July 2024, Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans (OSF-WB) and the City of Kragujevac signed an Agreement under which OSF-WB will donate USD 152,000 to Kragujevac to be used in the upcoming new round of the regional “Sunny Schools Initiative” project. The activity will see six primary schools in Kragujevac receive rooftop solar generation facilities, which will allow them to connect to the grid as prosumers and significantly cut their electricity bills whilst producing clean energy. The resulting savings will be used to help improve learning conditions for students and meet a variety of needs identified and prioritized by the school communities in a participatory process. The project will thus promote decarbonization and contribute to reducing pollution in Kragujevac, a major industrial center. Its objective is also to raise awareness and sensitize all stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, school administrations, and the local authorities, to the importance of transition to renewable energy sources. Lastly, the effort will improve the schools’ energy efficiency, security, and sustainability, as well as foster the energy democratization of the local community.

Dejan Ružić, Deputy Mayor of Kragujevac, and Miodrag Milosavljević, OSF-WB Deputy Director, signed the agreement at a formal event in the Ceremonial Room of Kragujevac City Hall. ‘This is an outstanding initiative by OSF-WB that is well matched to the city’s development initiatives and plans. We have been working with the responsible Ministry for several years, investing significant funds and effort to encourage and support the citizens in the energy transition and maximize the use of renewable energy’, Mr. Ružić said.

Mr. Milosavljevic highlighted the educational impact of the project for entire school communities, as well as its ability to make schools energy independent. ‘The project will help incentivize wider schools’ communities and as many citizens as possible, leading them to embrace this form of energy efficiency and thereby giving greater impetus to the “greening” of electricity generation’, he concluded.
Kragujevac joins Pirot, Veliko Gradiste, and Valjevo as the fourth local self-government in Serbia to take part in the “Sunny Schools in the Western Balkans” program, which now comprises some 80 participating schools throughout the region.
The signing ceremony was also attended by school principals of all six selected schools, City Council and Administration officials, the Energy Manager for Kragujevac, the OSF-WB Program Manager, and reporters for local and regional media outlets.