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What is the EDU community?

The informal network EDU brings together secondary, high-school, college and university teachers from Romania, who have been actively involved since 2013, in campaigns and projects dedicated to the development of competences of teachers and youth, through non-formal education.
EDU’s objectives are:

• A more effective collaboration between the educational institutions and NGOs / civil society;
• Combining formal and non-formal education methodologies;
• Creating a platform for networking and sharing best practices between youth workers and teachers;
• Access to opportunities specially designed for teachers and students;

Through EDU, we empower educators through hands-on tools that blend formal and non-formal education. Our work focuses on giving teachers and youth workers the innovative tools, support, and practical opportunities to implement meaningful educational initiatives.
Our initiatives are divided into 4 thematic portfolios, Democracy & Human Rights, Digital, Entrepreneurship & Employability, Sustainability. Our activities involving teachers & youth workers vary in terms of duration and area. We aim to tackle both short-term opportunities, such as the Eco Echo Clubs, or the GEYC Caravan, as well as the long-term multi-year regional partnerships, such as the in Câmpina.

Key initiatives

Timeline: 2024 - 2025 The Pixels of Change program is a series of five workshops, facilitated by our European Solidarity Corps volunteers. They go to high schools to support students in exploring digital topics through non-formal education. During these sessions, they encourage the class to share ideas, keep an open discussion, and reflect on important topics to become more aware of the digital transformation and equip them with key competencies to use while actively contributing to positive change in their communities. It covers the following topics: digital competencies, safety, online information, digital content production, and communication. The core concepts are based on the Digital Competence Wheel, an interactive online tool developed by the Center for Digital Dannelse, starting from the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DIGCOMP 2.2) framework. The Pixels of Change series have been awarded the 1st place of the European Youth Goals Award 2025. Pixels of Change has reached: 39 classes: In the first edition of the Pixels of Change series, we have reached a total of 39 classes across Bucharest. 7 highschools: Over 5 months, we have reached a total of 7 highschools across Bucharest with the in-person format of the series. 160 workshops: In total, the volunteers have facilitated 160 workshops in the 5-workshop series, as well as dedicated events with partners such as Oracle or UiPath.

Learn more about Pixels of Change here.

Timeline: 2022 - Present The Eco-Echo workshops are a series of 6 workshops facilitated by our European Solidarity Corps volunteers. They go in the high-schools to explore sustainability topics with the students by using non-formal education to share information, open discussion and push students to reflect on this topic. They want to support them to be more aware of the environmental crisis and to give them ideas of tools that they can use to take action. They cover the following topics: Plastic, Food & Water Waste, Paper, Recycling & Upcycling, Renewable energy and end up with the last workshop, Online Campaigns that makes the students acknowledge what they learned and to conclude the experience. The Eco Echo Clubs have received a number of distinctions, namely the 2023 SALTO Awards for Environment & Fight Against Climate Change, as well as the 2024 Global Education Awards. Eco Echo has reached: 2929 beneficiaries: In total the Eco Echo workshops facilitated by ESC volunteers have reached a total of 2929 beneficiaries. 129 classes: In total we have reached 129 classes in Morroco and multiple cities in Romania, including Bucharest & Câmpina the first series of the workshops, we have reached a total of 7 highschools across Bucharest with the in-person format of the series. 617 workshops: We have impacted the know-how of thousands of young people through the 6-workshop series, as well as through dedicated events with partners such as EFdeN, or Auchan.

Learn more about the Eco Echo Clubs here.

Timeline: 2019 - 2021 The DIVERSE project, co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, aims to support teachers from six countries to manage diversity in the classroom, especially those with a high number of RMM (refugee/migrant/minority) students. The objectives of the DIVERSE project have been to: Improve the management of diversity in the classroom; Explore three methods - creative drama, activities based on folks & fairytales and digital storytelling - to promote the emotional aspects of learning, non-verbal communication and learning, as well as the positive interaction between children from refugee/ migrant or minority (RMM) background and their colleagues; Improve the social inclusion of children with RMM background in their classroom and in the society; Among the results of the project we will mention: Adapting the three methods to be used in multicultural schools; Creating guidelines for teachers; Training 15 trainers; Training over 400 of elementary and secondary school teachers; Exploring the methods with over 9.000 students; We have also promoted and awarded the top 10 educational institutions (primary and secondary level) that got involved in the project at a national level (by highest number of teachers that successfully finished DIVERSE educational programme and highest number of RMM students reached), namely: Special Vocational School “Sfânta Maria”, Bistrița “Radu Tudoran” Secondary School, Brăila “Octav Băncilă” National College of Arts, Iași “Regina Maria” High School, Dorohoi “Anton Pann” Secondary School, Craiova “Avram Iancu” Secondary School, Satu Mare “Sf. Nicolae” Secondary School, Târgu Jiu Secondary School No. 9, Reșița Secondary School, Păstrăveni commune “Roman Vodă” National College, Roman

Learn more about DIVERSE here.

Timeline: 2018 - 2020 Young Digital Leaders is a Europe-wide programme innitiatied by Google.org and led by the Insitute for Strategic Dialogue. The programme aimed to empower young people through digital citizenship, critical thinking and media literacy skills that reach beyond the classroom, so that they can be truly empowered as responsible digital leaders. This innitiative started off with a meeting in Brussels in 2019, and ended with an event during which the partners presented their achievements, shared good practices and brainstormed together about the lessons learned and the road ahead. Among the results of the project we mention: Development of a 5-hour curriculum on digital citizenship education, tailored for youth aged 12–15; Delivery of workshops in three partner educational institutions (located in Ploiești, Slatina, and Reșița) by GEYC facilitators, reaching 450 students and over 90 parents (through dedicated sessions, including the creation of a parents’ guide); Training of 251 teachers nationwide, through 10 training courses held in Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Bucharest, Constanța, and Iași; Organization of four monitoring sessions for trained teachers in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Sibiu, Ploiești, and Fetești; Workshops facilitated by the trained teachers reached 6,106 young people (of which 4,722 were aged 12–15—the project's target group) from 133 partner educational institutions across 33 counties and the Municipality of Bucharest; We are also proud to have launched 10 Young Digital Leaders centers in the most actively involved educational institutions in the project: Technological High School of Food Industry, Fetești Banat High School, Oțelu Roșu “Nichita Stănescu” National College, Ploiești “Victor Ungureanu” Technical College, Câmpia Turzii “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Technological High School, Bârlad “Octavian Goga” National College, Marghita “Mihai Viteazul” Technical College, Oradea “Eugen Pora” Theoretical High School, Cluj-Napoca “Onisifor Ghibu” Theoretical High School, Oradea “Nicolae Kretzulescu” Higher Commercial School, Bucharest

Learn more about Young Digital Leaders here.

Timeline: September - December 2016 The EQUALIS campaign was carried out by GEYC as part of the dissemination activities of the Balkan without Hate project, organized by the association "Organizația 35mm" with financial support from the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Program, Key Action 2 (KA2). In addition to events organized by local partners, the campaign also included the HaSpe research, which focused on the impact of hate speech on young people—especially online—gathering responses from approximately 1,400 youth in Romania. The objective of the campaign has been to encourage young people aged 13 to 35 in Romania to actively engage in combating hate speech by using digital tools. Among the results we mention: Over 4,500 young people involved in local events; 70 local events—ranging from debates, role-playing games, and workshops to flash mobs, art exhibitions, and marches—organized across all Romanian development regions; 50 participating educational institutions; Launch of 5 EQUALIS Centers. These institutions received the title for their outstanding reported results. Coordinating teachers were awarded the title of EQUALIS Educator for their admirable efforts and creativity. The awards ceremony took place during EDYS 2016. One other output of the campaign have been the EQUALIS Centers, namely: “Jean Monnet” Theoretical High School, Bucharest “Margareta Sterian” Arts High School, Buzău “Miron Costin” Technical College, Roman Pui Secondary School, Hunedoara “Calistrat Hogaș” National College, Piatra Neamț

Learn more about the results of EQUALIS here.

Timeline: April - October 2014 The SMARTER campaign was carried out as part of a project of the same name, organized by GEYC with financial support from the European Commission through the “Youth in Action” program (Action 4.3). The research study “99 Steps for My Dream Job” identified the career orientation trends of young people (particularly high school students) on the labor market. The main objective of the program has been to encourage young people aged 13 to 30 in Romania to use social media tools to improve their employability. Among the results of the project we mention: Approximately 30 local partners (schools/high schools/universities/youth NGOs/public institutions) organized events within the campaign, delivering a clear message to Romania’s youth: “Digital skills help with employment.” Over 2,000 young people from across the country took part in the campaign’s events in an effort to become more competitive in the labor market and to improve their digital skills. Launch of 10 SMARTER Centers, selected from among the participating institutions, which stood out by engaging the highest number of young people (aged 13–30) within their community. The title of SMARTER Educator was awarded to coordinators from the institutions designated as SMARTER Centers. The title of SMARTER Student was awarded to three young people from among the 33 selected for the “99 Steps for a Dream Job” exhibition, based on the models they submitted by mail through the event coordinators. Evaluation criteria were: creativity and originality (70%) and the feasibility of the proposal (30%). Another output of the project has been the SMARTER Centers and Coordinators, namely: “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical College, Botoșani | Lead Teachers: Crețu Georgeta, Bobutanu Liliana, Gavril Rodica “Margareta Sterian” Arts High School, Buzău | Lead Teacher: Iancu Mihaela (collaborators: Tudose Veronica, Nechita Nicoleta, Lăzărescu Elena, Mihalcea Cristina, Dibu Daniela, Rajka Simona) “Onisifor Ghibu” Theoretical High School, Cluj-Napoca | Lead Teacher: Bărăscu Liliana “Gheorghe Munteanu Murgoci” National College, Brăila | Lead Teacher: Prus Paul “Transilvania” Economic College, Târgu Mureș | Lead Teacher: Moldovan Ana-Maria “Octavian Goga” National College, Marghita | Lead Teacher: Sarca Adriana Simona “Mediensis” Technical College, Mediaș | Lead Teachers: Crișan Delia, Tănase Corina, Bocioancă Ana “Al. Papiu Ilarian” Theoretical High School, Dej | Lead Teacher: Platon Cornelia “Constantin Cantacuzino” Technological High School, Băicoi | Lead Teacher: Ciurea Isabela Elena “George Coșbuc” National College, Năsăud | Lead Teacher: Strugar Simion

Learn more about SMARTER Campaign here.

Timeline: August - December 2013 The activity was carried out as part of a project of the same name, organized by GEYC with financial support from the European Commission through the “Youth in Action” program (Action 1.1). The project had two formats for events organized by selected local partners: SMYLE Seminars, which included presentations of information, case studies, reports, statistics, or debates on key aspects of youth unemployment at the local level, in Romania, and across the EU. SMYLE Campaigns, where participants disseminated the information received during the seminars by engaging with their local communities. The objective of the project has been to raise awareness about the importance of digital skills among young people aged 13–30 in Romania as a means to increase employability. Among the results we mention: Over 60 events conducted across the country; Over 3,000 direct beneficiaries, including more than 200 involved teaching staff;

Learn more about SMYLE here.

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This platform was developed in the frame of DIVERSE Project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, and is currently supported by the Erasmus+ project DEMPOD - Democratic Participation and Civic Engagement for young people in the Balkans through podcasts and vidcasts. The European Commission's support for the production of this platform does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.