Founding of Think Big Team NGO

After nine months of work, A-SMYLE alumni finally succeeded in registering their NGO, Think Big Team, in April, 2010. The organization is the brainchild of alumna Katarina Kohen (2007), and it is headed by a board of four other alumni: Ana Brzakovic (2007), Ana Jovanovic (2007), and Nikola Mladenovic (2008).

Think Big Team has already been active for more than a year, organizing eco-actions all over Serbia. Their inaugural project, The Green Mile, was a coordinated series of cleanup actions in six cities covering the whole country: Subotica, Loznica, Nis, Novi Sad, Aleksinac, and Belgrade. This year, the organization is taking on the issue of electronic waste by partnering with BIS recycling company in Pancevo. Think Big Team is collecting electronic waste in Six cities - Leskovac, Loznica, Nis, Novi Sad, Subotica, and Belgrade—and spreading the word about why it is important not to dump such waste.
BIS has agrees to recycle the waste at no charge.

Registering an NGO is an important step for A-SMYLE alumni because this status will allow them to cooperate with other organizations (such as BIS) more easily, as well as have more resources to apply for funding from a variety of sources. Think Big Team has already appeared in a variety of Serbian media several times, and A-SMYLE alumni are also using the opportunity of the NGO as a means to cooperate with other young people with similar aims and interests, such as alumni of the Serbia Youth Leadership Program.

Funding for the registration of the Think Big Team NGO came from an American Councils Alumni Small Grant. The organization also enjoys strong support from the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.