Results achieved in the project

On 18 December 2023, “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, in partnership with the Association for Support in the Development of Social Economy – Inclusion, Cooperative Responsibility, Social Entrepreneurship from Tulcea, organized a press conference where the final results of the project “Children and Youth Integrated for a Better World” were presented.

The project received a grant of €1,212,665 from Norway through the Norwegian Grants under the Local Development Programme. The overall objective of the project was to increase the social inclusion of children in three development regions in Romania, namely in the 14 partner schools in Suceava, Botoșani, Harghita and Tulcea counties. To this end, pupils from the target groups benefited from various extra-curricular activities aimed at developing their creative and sports skills, received lessons on promoting a healthy lifestyle, anti-discriminatory opinion-forming, and those in grades IV and VIII were provided with a school after school programme aimed at helping to deepen the mathematics and Romanian language notions taught in class. Their parents/guardians – who benefited from parental education activities – and teachers – who participated in a post-graduate training programme, which included both theoretical and practical activities monitored by trainers – were not forgotten.

The online event was attended by representatives of the implementation team, principals and teachers from the 14 associated schools – providers of the target groups (from Suceava county – Panaci Secondary School, Serbăuți Secondary School, Siminicea Secondary School, Măriței Secondary School, Drăgoiești Secondary School, Pătrăuți Secondary School, Mitocu Dragomirnei Secondary School; from Botoșani county – Primary School Nr. 1 Manoleasa; from Harghita county – Primary School “O.C. Tăslăuanu” Bilbor; from Tulcea county – Valea Nucarilor Secondary School, “Nichifor Ludovig” Niculițel Secondary School, Beștepe Secondary School, Frecăței Secondary School, “Vasile Alecsandri” Nufărul Secondary School), parents and expert advisors. During the meeting, several aspects of the degree of achievement of the indicators assumed in the project were highlighted, among which we mention:

• by the end of the project, 1401 pupils (grades 4 and 8) were involved, including 160 children with ESC and/or disabilities. During the activities, they received food and clothing packages and the schools were provided with supplies, school supplies, sports equipment and books worth more than 14,000 RON per school;
• the project provided more than 150 pupils with ESC and/or disabilities and their parents with remedial education, inclusive education, counselling sessions, speech therapy and physiotherapy, with experts visiting the partner schools attended by the children;
• five follow-up sessions were organised for 211 teachers; some teachers from partner schools benefited from both the competence training course on inclusive education and the CES/disability issue and the programme “Inclusive Education and Competences for a Democratic Culture” provided by the European Wergeland Centre and organised by FRDS in Norway;
• compared to initial estimates, the project fully met its objectives, often exceeding them by more than 30%.

On behalf of the teaching staff, the school directors from Panaci, Siminicea (Suceava County), and Valea Nucarilor (Tulcea County) have addressed the audience, emphasizing the positive impact that the implementation of this project has had at both the school and community levels. They highlighted the improvement in students’ performance and increased pass rates in the National Evaluation, despite the effects of the pandemic. Additionally, they pointed out the stimulation of parents’ interest and involvement in their children’s education, leading to a reduction in school dropout rates. The project also contributed to an increase in the transition rate of students to a higher level of education. Furthermore, the project involved providing unique counseling sessions for children with special needs, aiming to enhance self-esteem, confidence, motivation, and address communication issues. It also ensured the provision of high-quality school supplies, food, books, and sports equipment for students. The initiative encompassed diverse and enjoyable educational activities for children, even during the summer vacation.

The project “Integrated Children and Youth for a Better World,” with the PN2019 code, within the framework of the call for Inclusive Education for Children and Youth in Risk Situations, was implemented by “Ștefan cel Mare” University in Suceava (project promoter) and the Association for Support in the Development of Social Economy – Inclusion, Cooperative Responsibility, Social Entrepreneurship in Tulcea (partner) from January 2021 to December 2023. In recent years, USV has undertaken over 120 national and international projects, and “Integrated Children and Youth for a Better World” is among the few that provided support for primary and secondary education. The management team hopes to have thus opened a gateway to new collaborations and contributed to shaping a generation of young people who understand that education represents their chance for success. In this context, “Dream, Create, Innovate!” is not just the motto of USV but of all students, regardless of their social status, who aspire to a better world.

  More details can be obtained on the websites of the funder – www.eeagrants.ro, the Program Operator – www.frds.ro, and the dedicated project website – https://ctil.usv.ro/ .