We learn, we discover, we have fun! – children in the summer camp “Go Summer!”
With a desire for fun, good cheer and lots of smiles. This is how the children from Miroslava (Iași County) responded to the initiative of the “Alaturi de Voi” Foundation (ADV) Romania and its partners, to organize in their locality, for 5 days, a summer camp called “Go Summer!”. The camp is part of the “Investing in Inclusive Education!” Project, an initiative funded by the Norway Grants 2014-2021, through the Local Development Programme.
So, in the week of July 19-23, 2021, for four hours a day, the “Colonel Constantin Langa” School in Miroslava hosted recreational games, respectively creative and personal development workshops attended by 40 children, summer camp being for them a good opportunity for learning, discovery and fun. The success of the initiative is largely due to the volunteers attracted to the project. The connections created between them, organizers and children, during the activities, determined that the 5 days of camp to become a good learning experience for all.
“My parents do not have the opportunity to take me to the sea or to the mountains. I heard about your camp and I said come too. I’m not sorry at all. It’s the hottest vacation I’ve ever had. I haven’t played that much in a long time and I haven’t had any more fun. I hope you come to us every year! ” declares an 8-year-old child at the end of the 5 days of activities ”.
The parents were just as excited about this initiative: “The children are very excited. At the store I talk about you – ADV, at home I talk about the activities in the camp. It was very beautiful. I’m glad you brought younger children. We look forward to seeing you again next year “, said one of them to the ADV team.
Miroslava is the first community to host such a camp this summer, schools in three other localities in Iasi County (Horlești, Cornești and Uricani – the last two, component villages of Miroslava commune) will receive guest-children in the next period, which involve them in similar activities.
The summer camps are just one of the stages prior to the development of a complex program of integrated services (educational, psycho-socio-pedagogical, occupational, non-formal education and leisure) through which the “Alaturi de Voi” Foundation wants to boost school participation and social care of 650 children and young people aged between 3 and 18, at risk of dropping out of school or with special educational needs, from 3 rural communities in Iași County – Miroslava, Cornești and Horlești – and in Botoșani.
The project “Investing in inclusive education” benefits from a funding amounting to 1,147,488 euros, being implemented by the “Alaturi de Voi” Romania Foundation, in partnership with the Star of Hope Romania Foundation, the Romanian Literature Association and the Stejarii Argintii LAG Association. The project is funded under the call Inclusive education for children and young people at risk, a call that aims to contribute to increasing the degree of social inclusion of children and young people in Romania, by ensuring their access to quality education, fair and inclusive, in relation to the needs of each.