Promoter: Prahova County School Inspectorate

Partner: Neamț County School Inspectorate, GO-AHEAD Association, Art for Change Foundation, Norway

The value of the financing: 5,464,478.93 lei

Implementation period: November 2020– September 2023 (30 months)

Contact: https://zest4edu.ro/

Social media: Zest 4 edu

One of the biggest current challenges in the Romanian education system is school dropout and the effects it has on children and young people. School dropout is often equivalent to unemployment, undeclared work, marginalization or delinquency. Aiming to reduce the school dropout rate by ensuring students’ access to a type of inclusive education based on the concept of Affirmative Art, the project addresses a number of 1150 people from 17 localities belonging to Prahova and Neamt counties.

650 pupils at risk, of which 490 in rural areas and 60 with SEN from 19 schools will benefit from personal development, non-formal education and socialization programmes, aiming to increase the transition rate in upper secondary education (ISCED 3) by 1% annually for supported schools and to improve the school attendance of at least 40% of students in the main target group by 10%.

Also, through 3 Affirmative Art training programs and workshops, 200 teachers from the schools selected in the project will acquire competencies in order to improve the communication with the students, the relationship with parents, to reduce conflict situations between students, work with students with SEN, to support an increased interest of students in classes. In addition, a space for carrying out personal development activities and a cabinet-type space for individual counselling will be arranged in each of the 19 schools, to which students and teachers will have access. 200 parents / tutors of the students benefiting from the activities carried out in the project will be included in information, counselling and parental education activities.

A series of activities and events carried out in partnership with the Norwegian organization Art for Change Foundation will promote the importance of the innovative approach of the project and multiply the results of the project. 160 teachers will participate, in Norway, in an exchange of good practices by participating in “Affirmative Art” type workshops, in the two regions; there will also be organized a national conference, 6 information and awareness campaigns on topics related to personal development and 19 workshops to promote the concept of Affirmative Art.

On long term, the project aims to produce a change of perspective in the educational area, by introducing personal development programmes for children and pupils from an early age, with medium-term impact in increasing the number of young people who complete the lower secondary education cycle and continue their studies, and, on long term, in decreasing the number of persons at risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion as a result of quality personal and professional education.

Promoter: Save the Children Organization

Partners: Ilfov County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance, Save the Children Norway

The value of the financing: 6,391,855.65 lei

Implementation period: November 2020– November 2023 (36 months)

Website: https://www.salvaticopiii.ro/

Social media: Save the Children Romania (Facebook)

Increasing the inclusion of children at risk contributes to preventing school dropout, keeping students in the educational system representing the chance of a better future for them.

The project aims to promote inclusive education by developing support measures according to the specific needs of the beneficiaries from 4 rural communities – Băcești (Vaslui), Amărăștii de Jos (Dolj), Aninoasa (Dâmbovița) and Gradistea (Ilfov) and 2 urban communities – Giurgiu and Bucharest.

870 vulnerable children 4-16 years old (children at risk of school dropout and children with SEN, girls and boys, including Roma ethnics) will benefit from integrated services to prevent school dropout – Summer Kindergarten programs, school after school type, personal development and social support measures, and 520 parents will benefit from parental education and counselling services.

170 specialists in the field of education and social services will acquire knowledge and skills and increased capacity to promote inclusive education, through participation in training sessions and exchanges of experience with institutions from Norway, activities that will be provided by the partner organization, Save the Children Norway.

Also, in order to achieve the assumed objectives, local information and awareness campaigns on inclusive education will be organized within the project for 1,800 persons – pupils, teachers, parents and members of the targeted communities.

Promoter: Vaslui County School Inspectorate

Partner: Galati County School Inspectorate

The value of the financing:  3,731,805.00 lei

Implementation period: November 2020– June 2023 (30 months)

Website: http://www.oscoalapentrutoti.ro/

In Vaslui and Galați counties, the phenomenon of school dropout is closely related to that of poverty and social exclusion. In order to prevent and mitigate the effects of social exclusion on children’s education, the project aims to support 475 children at risk, most of them from rural areas, through concrete measures aiming their inclusion in school and community and which involve the collaboration between school, family and community, in order to eliminate the barriers between them.

Among the solutions identified by the project for improving the school attendance of the 475 students (of which 75 are Roma and 25 with special educational needs) and to increase the transition rate of students from primary to secondary school and from secondary school to high school by at least 3%, we mention:

• developing a counselling program and related events for the transition from one educational cycle to the next cycle, while also stimulating the improvement of the child-parent-school relationship
• development of remedial programs for secondary school children in danger of bad school results, repetition or school dropout, programs that will run during at least 4 semesters
• development of extra-curricular activities (primary and secondary school students), such as workshops, open school, camps, etc.
• providing food supplements and packs of clothes / shoes and school supplies for the most at-risk children
• development of collaboration programs between the schools in Vaslui and Galați, through which to identify good practices in desegregation of education at this level.

In order to achieve its objectives, the project will lead to the involvement and education of the teaching and auxiliary staff (80 persons), and of the parents and tutors (100 persons) in order to support the keeping of children in school and the prevention of school dropout.

Promoter: Alba Iulia Orthodox Philanthropy Association

Partners: HEKS/EPER Romania Foundation, Foundation for the Promotion of Agriculture and Regional Economy – FAER-Reghin-Mureș, New School AS (Norway)

The value of the financing: 4,720,493.00 lei

Implementation period: November 2020 – June 2022 (finalized)

Contact: https://www.filantropiaortodoxa.ro/

At the local level, 30% of primary school students and 40% of secondary school students drop out of school, the causes being either the migration of parents abroad or the lack of material possibilities and disadvantaged living conditions. In order to prevent school dropout and increase school performances, the project aims to achieve an optimal model of alternative services, complementary to the formal education system in order to cover the needs of students from 13 schools in the Central and North-West regions.

645 students, aged between 6-16 years, at risk of school dropout (435 come from rural areas, 10 have special educational needs) will benefit from inclusive and remedial education activities such as “school after school”, the educational process being carried out in a safe and professional environment. Inclusive education activities will include civic education and training courses for integration into society that will lead to the appropriation of civilized behaviour rules and good manners.

In addition to the activities carried out with the students, 110 parents will benefit from parenting education sessions and 49 professionals working with children at risk of early school dropout / leaving and with children with SEN will be professionally trained and will exchange knowledge by including them in 10 support groups.

To support the professionals working with children with special educational needs or who are at risk of early school dropout, an inclusive education manual through activities for personal development will be developed. It will include a theoretical part and an applicative part, with non-formal exercises and activities, to be used in all schools collaborating in the project.

By collaborating with the partner organization from Norway, an online brochure with Norwegian methods of working with children and young people will be developed within the project, which will be a useful tool for all teachers who have inclusive education activities in their curriculum. Also, the brochure has the role of promoting inclusive education by encouraging the work with children and young people at risk of school dropout / early school leaving, respectively children and young people with special educational needs.

Promoter: Covasna County School Inspectorate

Partners: Harghita County School Inspectorate, Vrancea County School Inspectorate, Covasna County Police Inspectorate, Transilvania University from Brașov, Newschool from Norway

The value of the financing: 1.462.032 euro

Implementation period: November 2020– November 2023 (36 months)

Contact: https://vinolascoala.educv.ro/

The phenomenon of early school leaving at the level of Covasna, Harghita and Vrancea counties represents a risk to students coming from disadvantaged groups in rural areas. In order to reduce this phenomenon, the Covasna County School Inspectorate aims to implement a set of innovative measures at multiregional level to support the inclusive education of students and to increase school participation and the number of those who access higher education levels (from primary to secondary school and from secondary to high school).

Through interventions at the level of 12 schools from Covasma, Harghita and Vrancea counties, 433 primary school students and 295 students from the gymnasium cycle (7-16 years old), who are at risk of early school drop will be included in remedial activities such as “School after school”.

In addition, through anti-victim and anti-crime counselling sessions, health education and contest-type activities that will increase the attractiveness of the school, the project aims to increase the transition rate by 1% from primary to secondary and secondary to high school. Also, the project includes psycho-pedagogical counselling services for 120 students with SEN identified in collaborating schools.

The objectives of the project will also be achieved through an awareness campaign on the importance of preventing school dropout and accessibility of education at any age and of activities and services for parents and education specialists. Thus, 500 parents / tutors will benefit from counselling services in order to become aware of the importance of education and 210 teachers will benefit from training services in working with children at risk of school dropout and with SEN and parenting education sessions that will allow them to become parental educators for the parents included in the project. In addition, thanks to the partnership with Newschool in Norway, 23 managerial school staff will exchange experience with representatives of similar institutions in Norway.

Promoter: YANA- You Are Not- Alone Charitable Foundation

Partners: FAVOR Association, St. Ioan Calabria Foundation

The value of the financing: 6,654,575.00 lei

Implementation period: octombrie 2020 – iunie 2023

Contact: https://www.formamviitorul.org/

Social media: Formam viitorul

The expansion of school dropout phenomenon of in poor communities, manifested especially among students who are going to access from class VIII to class IX, has created the need for this project that aims to increase the degree of social inclusion of children and young people at risk of school dropout by promoting inclusive education in an integrated manner, both educationally and at community level.

The project intervention takes place at the level of 945 beneficiaries (aged between 7 and 24 years), from 4 rural communities in Bacău County (Nicolae Bălcescu, Răcăciuni, Filipeni and Mărgineni communes) and from an urban community (Roman municipality, Neamţ County). The children and young people included in the project will develop their personal and social skills and abilities, will receive support in carrying out school activities, will receive counselling and will participate in extra-curricular activities.

At the same time, 100 teachers will go through a training program and will receive support for the implementation of the new assimilated knowledge and 250 parents will participate in joint activities with children, teachers and other members of the targeted communities.

The project contributes to the improvement of the services provided by the collaborating educational units by increasing the quality of the educational processes and practices at the level of the schools involved, by training in alternative training methods, by using new technologies, but also by encouraging the change of the attitude of the teachers towards the students (and the reciprocal) and of the teachers towards the parents in order to meet the needs of the groups at risk. The project promotes the concept of an inclusive school, but also that of an inclusive community, encouraging the participation of entire communities in the project activities, regardless of the social status, income, education or ethnicity of children and parents. All children, selected on transparent criteria, regardless their material or social status, will be involved in the activities carried out in the 10 collaborating schools. At the community level, activities such as Femme Tische will be organized, meetings in the form of round tables between parents, regardless of social condition, ethnicity or religion, in order to discuss topics such as health or family.

On long term, the project will lead to an increase in the inclusion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, will increase the graduation rate of secondary education, will increase the number of children who will attend high school studies, and the communities targeted by the project will be more prepared to address the situations of children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Promoter: Alaturi de voi Romania Foundation

Partners: Star of Hope Romania Foundation, Romanian Literacy Association, Argintii GAL Association

The value of the financing: 5,452,521.16 lei

Implementation period: October 2020 – February 2023 (finalized)

Contact: https://edu.alaturidevoi.ro/

Social media: https://www.facebook.com/ClubulTinerilor.ADVRomania

The project aims to increase the school and social participation of a number of 650 children and young people aged between 3 and 18 years old who are at risk of school dropout / early school leaving and with special educational needs (SEN) from 4 communities in Iasi and Botosani counties (3 rural communities in Iasi County – Miroslava, Corneşti and Horleşti and an urban community – the city of Botoşani).

The objective of the project will be achieved by providing the 650 beneficiaries with an integrated package of educational, psycho-socio-pedagogical, occupational, non-formal education and leisure services in order to increase the degree of school and social participation.

The project also aims to increase the involvement and providing support services for 140 parents, out of which 80 parents of children / young people at risk of school dropout and 60 parents of those with SEN; Also, the project will lead to the development of competences in the educational process of 125 teachers (100 of the 4 schools  targeted by the project and 25 from the North-East Region) in the integrated approach of working with children and young people at risk of early school dropout and with SEN.

The project proposes a sustainable partnership and a model of related intervention at the level of child / young person – family – school – community. The model implemented by the 4 NGOs and 4 associated schools will be proposed at regional/national level through FNGAL.

Promoter: Juvenal Foundation

Partners: Neamț County School Inspectorate, “Fencing for all” Foundation and Newschool AS from Norway

The value of the financing: 4,434,772.50 lei

Implementation period: October 2020-October 2023 (36 months)

Contact: https://pedex.ro/

Social media: Pedagogie Experiențială

The project aimed to positively influence the educational process and social inclusion, proposing an innovative pedagogical approach. The initiative will take place at the level of 11 schools and high schools in Neamt and Suceava counties, involving 664 children and young people at risk of early school dropout or with special educational needs (SEN).

The project also aims at the training of 170 teachers and educational and social experts and the counselling of a number of 150 parents for the awareness, assimilation and real involvement in promoting inclusive education through exposure to programs specially designed by the Romanian partners and the Norwegian partner, an entity with expertise on education in this regard.

The project “Experiential Pedagogy” proposes a method with impact at the level of the entire educational community that it involves in direct activities with a two-way vision – inclusive integration and proactive participation of each for a common goal.

The partnership structure brings added value through the possibilities it offers to the beneficiaries to have access to successful models and methods both at national level and in Norway, through bilateral activities.

Promoter: Ștefan cel Mare University Suceava

Partners: Suceava County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance, Association for Support in the Development of the Social Economy – Inclusion, Cooperative Responsibility, Social Entrepreneurship IRCAS

The value of the financing: 5,910,097.00 lei

Implementation period: October 2020-October 2023 (36 months)

Contact: https://ctil.usv.ro/

Social media: https://www.facebook.com/ctil.usv

Through an integrated and innovative approach, the project proposes to increase the degree of social inclusion of children at risk of school dropout located in Suceava, Botosani, Harghita and Tulcea counties.

750 children at risk of school dropout and 80 children with special educational needs (SEN) will benefit from “school after school” educational support services to stimulate participation and prevent dropout in primary and secondary education.

Also, the beneficiaries will be involved in innovative activities of non-formal education, sessions to increase the self-esteem, health education, teamwork skills and anti-discrimination education. The 80 children with SEN will benefit from care, assistance and empowerment/rehabilitation services, including counselling for parents (medical recovery, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychological counselling/therapy and alternative therapies).

The project also brings into question the importance of preparing the teachers working with students at risk and their parents. Thus, 211 teachers and 268 parents / tutors of children at risk will benefit from inclusive education courses, counselling and parental education courses.

Promoter: Association of Arts and Spirituality ZAN ART

Partner: TERRAM PACIS (Norway)

The value of the financing: 2,931,562.00 lei

Implementation period: October 2020 – July 2023 (30 months)

Contact: https://impact.zan-art.ro/

Social media: Asociația de Arte Zan Art

The project aims to develop and promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education in Romania and the social inclusion of children and young people at risk of school dropout and SEN, through the arts. In order to achieve the assumed objectives, the project addresses a number of 35o children from rural areas who are at risk of school dropout of or who have special educational needs (SEN) from Bunești (Braşov County), Rucar and Domneşti (Argeş County), Dragomireşti (Dâmboviţa County), Dumbrava (Prahova County), Tepu (Galati County) and Breaza (Prahova County) communes.

The children will benefit from artistic workshops of theatre, dance, painting, photography, film, social inclusion through the arts and will be promoted both at the level of the local communities of the beneficiaries and at national level, in an innovative way through painting and photography exhibitions as well as community film – for creating the social context of respect for human rights and social inclusion.

Also, the project activities will aim at developing self-esteem and the ability to cope with emotional problems for children and for 100 of their parents through psychological and motivational support groups and the development of a methodology of psychological support through arts.

The project will generate the awareness of 2500 parents, teachers, children from local communities predominantly rural through 7 exhibitions of painting and photography with children’s works, on the topic of human rights and fundamental freedoms and inclusive education.

Promoter: Comuna Tunari (jud. Ilfov)

Partners: Asociația pentru evoluție ROTAS, Asociația Centrul de resurse economice și educație pentru dezvoltare CREED, Asociația „Lumina și Dar”, Menneskerettighetsakademiet/ Human Rights Academy (Norvegia)

Value of financing: 6,875,066.33 lei

Implementation period: October 2020 – May 2023 (30 de luni)

Contact: https://risei.ro/

Social media: https://www.facebook.com/proiect.risei

The project aims to increase the social inclusion of 870 children and young people at risk by creating an Integrated Support Network through Inclusive Education in three counties: Ilfov, Neamt and Iasi. To this end, the project will develop a support network at the level of the three counties that will provide a quality, equitable and inclusive education in relation to the needs of each child / young person. Thus, the project will contribute to the decrease of the phenomenon of school dropout and to ensuring an unhindered access for children with special educational needs (SEN) to a quality education.

The actions will be aimed at the target group both directly, through activities addressed to it (the construction of an inclusive education integrated centre in Tunari and the arrangement and endowment of an existing centre in Pascani and of some spaces dedicated to the project activities within two schools in Piatra-Neamt, locations that will host after-school programs, non-formal and creative education and the provision of medical services and social and psychological counselling) but also indirectly,  through training programs for the teaching staff and through the support offered to the parents of the children/ young people from the target group. At the same time, there are proposed activities aimed at integrating children into local communities through participation in joint actions with its members, thus leading to increased social inclusion and to the promotion of the principle of desegregation of the target group.

The Integrated Support Network through Inclusive Education will have the same components in each of the three counties: (1) a physical centre/space where certain support programs will be carried out, (2) a common methodology regarding the provision of support services for the target group and (3) an interactive online platform dedicated to teaching staff and in the field of social services. The common methodology will be developed together with the Norwegian partners based on the exchange of experience offered to collaborating schools and local teams in the centres, as well as good practices identified at the Norwegian partners.

The professional development programs of teachers in working with children at risk will ensure a long-term improvement of the educational services offered to the community and implicitly, ensuring access to a quality, inclusive education, with equal opportunities for all children / young people.

The support provided to parents of children at risk will, on long term, ensure a better understanding of their children’s needs and the challenges they face, thus contributing to their more harmonious development, enabling them to reach their full potential.

Promoter: County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance (CJRAE) Suceava

Partners: County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance (CJRAE) Brașov

Value of financing: 4,193,126.81 lei

Implementation period: December 2020 – February 2023 (finalized)

Contact: http://www.cesi-sv-bv.ro/

Social media: CESI – Calitate prin Educație Școlară Incluzivă

The project aims to increase the degree of social inclusion of children and young people at risk by promoting inclusive education within 14 schools in Suceava and Brasov counties. The project addresses a target group of 500 children and young people from disadvantaged environments, from rural and urban schools in the two counties, at risk of early school leaving / risk of school dropout or with special educational needs (175 students) and aims to improve their school attendance and increase the transition rates from primary to secondary and from secondary to high school.

The project is also addressed to target groups of 250 parents/tutors and family members of the children in the target group, education staff working with children or young people (70 teachers). The concept of the project is an integrated one, having in the foreground the increased attractiveness of the school for children from disadvantaged environment through direct psycho-pedagogical counselling activities, extracurricular activities (on environmental, discrimination, nutrition, sports, hygiene topics, thematic excursions) and providing material support (prizes to students with the best school results and a support package to each student participating in the project, each year of the project).

These activities addressed to students will be complemented by mentoring and teachers’ improvement activities through courses in the field of inclusive education, activities with students with special educational needs and the formation of social competences. Also, the project activities aim at the active involvement of the parents of the pupils participating in the project, parents who will benefit from information workshops and parental counselling on the social inclusion of children and young people at risk of school dropout / early school leaving or those with special educational needs.

Promoter: European Foundation for Consultancy, Implementation and Development (FECID)

Partners: Sibiu County School Inspectorate, Mureș County School Inspectorate, University of South-Eastern, Norway, Innovius AS Norway,

Value of financing: 7,127,550.00 lei

Period of implementation: September 2021 – February 2024 (30 months)

Contact: https://acces4succes.ro/

Social media: Proiect Acces Spre Succes

Through the project “Access to success”, 980 children aged between 10 and 16, at risk of school dropout, from 12 schools in Sibiu and Mures counties, mostly from rural areas, benefit from educational, non-formal and social integration activities in order to prevent school dropout and / or early school leaving.

The project is carried out in Agnita, Alma, Axente Sever, Marpod, Cârţişoara, Cristian, Răşinari localities (Sibiu County) and Albesti, Saschiz, Târnăveni, Sâncraiu de Mureş (Mures County).

The objective of the project is to increase the school attendance by at least 10% of a number of 400 children from the primary target group and to increase the transition rate to higher school education (grade IX) by 1.5% during the project implementation.

A complete school path and the development of healthy psycho-emotional skills and the increase of self-confidence, will provide these children, in the future, with the premises to contribute to the development of a more inclusive and cohesive society.

The measures addressed directly to the primary group of beneficiaries are correlated with auxiliary measures addressed to their school mates, teachers and psychologists, but also to the groups of parents.

Promoter: Neamț County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance

Partners: General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Neamț; Social Alert Romania Association

Value of financing: 7.138.650 lei

Period of implementation: September 2021 – February 2024 (30 months)

Contact: https://www.incluziunesieducatie.ro/

Social media:  Calitate și Incluziune prin Educație

The project aims to increase the level, but also the quality of educational and social inclusion for a number of 913 children at risk of social exclusion from Neamt and Iasi Counties, as well as to implement an inclusive, personalized and integrated intervention model at community level, in order to achieve long-term sustainable results.

Thus, the project aims at the educational and social integration of a number of 363 children at risk of social exclusion, due to the increased risk of school dropout and a number of 550 children with special educational needs (SEN).

The children at risk of school dropout are aged between 7-17 years, these children and young people living in rural areas in a proportion of 80%. These children are enrolled in a form of formal education, either in a regular school or in a special school, the aim of the project being to increase the chances of social and educational inclusion in the medium and long term for these children.

In the first phase, the project includes a diagnosis of the school dropout phenomenon in the 16 intervention communities, and then will provide educational services in the collaborating schools in the intervention communities, such as: counselling, remedial education, psycho-pedagogical counselling, speech therapy, interactive workshops, support groups for children exposed to school dropout, support activities for children with SEN, community support groups.

Also, the objectives of the project will be achieved by creating support mechanisms at the level of the 16 communities that can strengthen the educational and social inclusion process through integrated activities at the level of 200 relevant experts from the targeted communities and 500 parents, for a period of 30 months.

Promoter: Terre des Hommes Foundation Switzerland

Partners: Support Association of Physically Handicapped Children – Romania – Vâlcea branch; FAFO Institute for Applied International Studies in Norway

Value of financing: 4,940,972.55 lei

Period of implementation: December 2021 – December 2023

Contact: https://edu-noroc.org/

The project “NOROC in Education” aims, on short term, to combat school dropout and to facilitate the transition from primary to secondary school and from secondary to high school, for 650 children at risk and with special educational needs (SEN), from 20 schools in Dolj, Olt, Gorj, Valcea and Bacău counties.

Most of the children in the intervention schools come from disadvantaged backgrounds, often accumulating disadvantages such as: low educational background of parents, poverty – and therefore the need to be involved in lucrative activities for family subsistence or in care activities for younger siblings – Roma ethnicity and exposure to discrimination based on ethnicity, belonging to single-parent families or where one or both parents are abroad at work. Also, some of the girls included in the project are at risk of contracting early marriages, and therefore dropping out of school for this reason.

Preventing and combating early school dropout is achieved through a complex and integrated programme of measures. Thus, the beneficiaries will participate in after-school programs, remedial education leisure activities, material support, hot meals exclusively for children from rural areas. Also, the change in students’ perception of education will be achieved through a mentoring program through which high school young people will be trained to support and motivate the children. Last but not least, workshops with parents for involvement in supporting the children (counselling, material support – e.g., school supplies, clothes, shoes for children, support for accessing public funds from government programs – High school money, social scholarships, Special places for Roma in high school, etc.).

On medium and long term, the intervention aims to improve the quality of educational services, by training 48 teachers and mediators, in methods of working with children at risk of school dropout and with SEN.

The project will provide support to schools in order to establish procedures for identifying and monitoring children at risk of school dropout, will provide training and counselling for the teachers in the field of improving the quality of educational services, transferring working methods that were experienced in other projects.