LCIF Approves US$1.6 Million Grant to Expand Youth Prevention Programs Across Southeast Europe

Oak Brook, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - June 18, 2026) - The Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) Board of Trustees has approved US$1.6 million in grant funds to support the continued expansion of Lions Quest, LCIF's premier education and youth development program, across Southeast Europe. The initiative will be facilitated in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and aims to deliver proven life skills education that strengthens young people, schools, families and communities throughout the region.

The four-year initiative will support teacher training, curriculum expansion, regional collaboration, program evaluation and public awareness efforts through 2029 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

The grant funds will introduce Lions Quest Skills for Growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time, expand Skills for Adolescence into additional schools in Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia and launch or expand Skills for Action and service-learning programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

Since 2014, more than 56,000 students across the region have participated in Lions Quest programs, with significant growth occurring over the last three years.

One of those students was Stefan Popovic of Montenegro, who participated in Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence while in school. In 2019, he spoke at the United Nations about his experience with the program. Five years later, he returned to share how Lions Quest continued to shape his life and decision-making.

"Our life, and especially our adolescence, depends on the decisions we make. [Lions Quest] Skills for Adolescence improved our way of making decisions. It taught us to think well before making a decision, and to think about its consequences and its benefits and drawbacks," he said.

"Seeing the positive impact the program made on my generation, I'm certain that it will continue to guide and to inspire many more young people in the years to come," he added.

The initiative is being implemented in close collaboration with Ministries of Education, local educators and Lions volunteers throughout the region. In several participating countries, Ministries of Education have reviewed, certified or accredited Lions Quest materials for classroom use.

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