From the Pyramid to Kamëz: TUMO Expands Beyond Central Tirana

A new partnership to establish TUMO Kamëz marks the first expansion of the educational model beyond Tirana, opening a new chapter in providing young people with access to free education in technology and creative fields.

A successful model becomes even more valuable when it reaches the communities that need it.

This October, the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), together with the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Municipality of Kamëz, and the Pyramid Center, launched a partnership to establish TUMO Kamëz.

The agreement marks the first expansion of the TUMO program beyond Tirana, bringing an educational model previously available only in the heart of the capital closer to young people in Kamëz.

TUMO will offer young people in Kamëz the opportunity to develop future-ready skills, regardless of where they live.

For AADF, expanding this model is part of a broader approach to creating opportunities not only in central Tirana but also, gradually, in other communities across Albania.

A Different Approach to Learning

TUMO is an international educational model originally established in Armenia and subsequently expanded to countries around the world. It combines technology and creativity to help young people develop practical skills.

In Tirana, the program initially launched at Arena Center and is now based at the Pyramid of Tirana, forming part of its wider ecosystem of education, technology, and innovation.

TUMO Tirana was introduced in Albania by AADF in partnership with the Municipality of Tirana, with the aim of providing young people aged 12–18 with access to skills in digital technology and creative disciplines.

What sets TUMO apart is not only the range of disciplines it offers, but also the way learning takes place.

Each student follows a personalized learning path tailored to their interests, pace, and progress.

The program combines self-directed learning activities, workshops, and learning labs, allowing students to move gradually from exploration to developing their own projects in their chosen disciplines.

The disciplines available at TUMO include programming, artificial intelligence, robotics, game development, animation, 3D modeling, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, drawing, and music.

As students progress through the program, they build a portfolio of their work and projects, creating a “living diploma” that demonstrates the practical skills they have developed.

This makes TUMO more than a place to attend courses. It is an environment where young people can explore, experiment, work on real projects, and gradually discover the fields that interest them most.

Why Kamëz?

Expanding to Kamëz creates an opportunity to bring this educational model closer to a new community with a significant youth population.

According to project data, the Municipality of Kamëz has a potential pool of approximately 7,900 young people aged 12–18 who could benefit from this opportunity.

TUMO Kamëz builds on a proven and established model through the experience of TUMO Tirana, bringing opportunities to learn, create, and experiment with technology closer to young people, regardless of where they live.

The partnership between AADF, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Municipality of Kamëz, and the Pyramid Center will support the establishment and operation of the new center, with a total project budget of $3.5 million.

From a Single Center to a Scalable Model

The significance of this initiative goes beyond expanding TUMO to Kamëz.

Across several of its initiatives, AADF follows the principle that a successful model should not necessarily remain an isolated project. When an approach proves effective, it can be adapted, developed, and expanded to create opportunities for more people.

TUMO Kamëz presents an opportunity to demonstrate exactly that: how a model already established at the Pyramid of Tirana can operate beyond the city center while maintaining its quality and reaching a new community.

If the experience demonstrates similar levels of interest and value for young people, it could provide a strong foundation for considering how comparable models might be expanded to other cities across Albania.

Investing in human capital has greater value when opportunities reach every young person, especially those who do not have easy access to them.

By expanding access, we invest in the potential of young people and the future of the country.

For AADF, TUMO Kamëz is more than a second center. It represents another step toward expanding opportunities for young people across Albania.

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity should be too.