1. A) The 154/1.1/G/137140 SOP HRD Project “Supporting students to learn by experimenting” – Active Student Learning Programme aimed at preparing students and helping them acquire key competencies and skills, to ensure their academic success, equal opportunities and future access to the labour market, implemented by Children in Distress Foundation, as applicant, in partnership with County Centre for Educational Resources and Assistance Arges, Vasiliada Association and No.1 Secondary School – Voluntari, Ilfov County.

The Project was co-funded through the European Social Fund, “Invest in people!” Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007-2013, Priority Axis 1 “Education and training in support of growth and development of knowledge based society”, Key Area of Intervention 1.1 “Access to quality education and initial vocational education and training (VET)”, and received financial grants equivalent to 98% of the total eligible sum of 1,562,732.55 lei.

Project Objectives:

Improving access and participation in the pre-university educational process of students who come from rural areas, socio-economically disadvantaged families, the Roma community and with social and school adaptation difficulties, by supporting schools in management and capacity to provide relevant educational support and qualifications for the previously mentioned disadvantaged categories;

Acquiring and developing skills aimed to ensure optimal school adaptation, participation in formal education, improvement of school performances for children from vulnerable categories; development of key skills to adapt to a knowledge based society and social inclusion of students from the previously mentioned disadvantaged groups;

Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills acquisition to facilitate the transition of students to vocational training and access to labour market and employment offers;

Development of school-community partnership, particularly the ties with the business community to facilitate training and labour market integration of students from the target group;

Development of skills for all categories of personnel involved in providing alternative educational services, to meet social and cultural diversity, to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and to develop specific educational and support methods to ensure the participation in the educational process of these categories of students;

Development and provision of information, training and advice for parents to understand the importance of education in a child’s upbringing and their role in the educational process;

Supporting target group students by providing scholarship grants;

Project Beneficiaries:

340 students aged between 6 and 16 years old, 60 pre-schoolers aged between 3 and 6, domiciled in rural areas, from socially-economically disadvantaged families, Roma community, who face social and school adaptation issues,

200 parents,

60 teachers and other personnel members who provide alternative educational services.

Location: the multiregional project was implemented in rural and urban communities in three development regions: Bucharest-Ilfov, South-Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, in Bucharest and Ilfov Counties (Voluntari), Arges County (Curtea de Arges, Merisani, Oiești, Arefu) and Dolj County (Craiova, Lipovu, Filiasi).

Registered Results:

300 students who received orientation and counselling services have improved their school performances,

340 students and 50 pre-schoolers improved their communication and bonding skills,

300 have developed key skills to facilitate their adaptation to a knowledge based society and social inclusion: communication skills in their native language and mathematical knowledge, analytical thinking, creative and pragmatic capacity for analysis and synthesis, civic and interpersonal competences; they also understood the importance of cultural diversity, of our country’s ancestral traditions and customs background,

250 students acquired computer literacy and associated technology skills, needed for personal development, professional training and labour market integration,

200 have developed entrepreneurship and acquired entrepreneurial skills to facilitate their transition to professional training and access to labour market,

16 schools were assisted in extracurricular activities based on a syllabus created for these types of activities,

200 parents improved their attitude towards the role they must play and understood the importance of school education in their children’s lives and have acquired the necessary skills needed to actively support children during the educational process,

70 people from psycho-pedagogical, educational assistance and resources centres, involved in providing alternative education services, have developed the necessary skills to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and to apply specific educational and support methods to ensure the participation in the educational process of students from disadvantaged categories,

340 students and 60 pre-schoolers received social scholarships and grants to continue their studies.

2. B) The 161/2.1/G/141440 SOP HRD Project „Performance and competitiveness in transition from school to the first work place”, as a partner, along Saint Macrina Foundation, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Social Works and Logement Jeunes 93 Association (ALJ 93) headquartered in France.

The Project was co-funded through the European Social Fund, “Invest in people!” Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007-2013, Priority Axis 2 “Linking life-long learning and labour market”, Key Area of Intervention 2.1 “Transition from school to active life”.

Project Objectives:

Supporting 360 students from social works field of activity in the transition from school to the first job.

Project Beneficiaries:

360 students from the Orthodox Theology – Social Works Faculty and Sociology and Social Works Faculty from University of Bucharest.

Location:

Social Centres for Children of Children in Distress Foundation and Saint Macrina Foundation in Bucharest.

Registered Results:

360 students acquired and developed specific social worker position key professional competencies and skills, skills that facilitate and speed the adaptation process to their first job,

300 students beneficiated from vocational orientation and career guidance sessions which substantially contributed to their subsequent professional and personal development,

Increasing self-awareness regarding their professional profile – interests, values, skills, most appropriate professional or organizational roles in 100% cases of the students participating in the project,

Improved awareness and knowledge level of labour legislation, safety and health at work legal framework – for all the students participating in the internships,

15 students found a job following the information and career guidance campaign,

50 students continued their studies following career guidance sessions,

Development of a best practices manual to facilitate practical learning and labour market insertion of students from social works faculties – needed by students and social care units/facilities where students will carry out their practical training/internships and of a vocational orientation guide,

Development of a comparative study on social policies: Romania – France,

Development of a database on employment opportunities in social works field of activity.

1. A) “Rehabilitation and reintegration for children with developmental difficulties” Project

Project Objectives:

Improving the quality of life of children with developmental problems,

Ensuring access to rehabilitation services,

Preventing marginalization and social exclusion,

School integration/reintegration.

Project Beneficiaries:

-150 children with motor, neurological, orthopaedical and genetic disorders, speech and language and behavioural disorders, social and school adaptation issues, who struggle to acquire independent living skills and autonomy.

Location:

“Saint Nicholas” Centre for Development and Rehabilitation in Bucharest.

Registered Results:

Correction of motor disorders in 34 children,

Improvement of motor function and manual abilities in 55% of the children with neurological disabilities,

Acquisition or improvement of independent living skills in 80% of the children: sanitary habits, self-serving skills and game/play related skills

Correction of speech and language disorders in 85% of the children,

Increase of communication and bonding abilities with their peers and/or with adults in 70% of the children,

School integration or continuing their studies/maintaining enrolment for 65% of pre-school and school children,

Support provided to families to transform the living space into an easy to access environment so that the specific needs of children with physical and motor disabilities are met,

Support offered to families during the ordering/purchase of orthoses and guidance regarding proper use of orthoses for children,

Training parents on certain work techniques adapted to each child’s diagnosis and specific needs so that the rehabilitation programme is continued at home per the recovery programme established by the team of specialists,

Counselling and support offered to parents so that the child is enrolled in a school that offers a suitable educational programme per the child’s specific needs;

1. B) “Rehabilitation Services at Home for Children with Special Needs” Project developed in partnership with Sector 6 Social Services and Child Protection Department.

Project Objectives:

Improving the quality of life of children with neuro-motor disabilities,

Access to physiotherapy services.

Location:

Children’s homes located in Bucharest, Sector 6 area.

Project Beneficiaries: 10 children with diagnoses associated with: infantile chronic encephalopathy (ICE) – spastic tetraparesis form with severe motor delay and mild intellectual disabilities, infantile cerebral palsy (ICP) – severe dyskinesia form with progressive basal ganglia anomaly, Chiari II syndrome, lumbar spina bifida, Down syndrome, Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS), generalized muscular hypotonia, severe intellectual disability and hyperkinetic syndrome of spastic tetraparesis with extrapyramidal elements and arthrogryposis.

Registered Results:

Provision of 116 physiotherapy sessions,

Improvement of children’s motor abilities, five of the beneficiaries achieved total autonomy,

Support offered to families in transforming their living environments into accessible and easy to use spaces which meet the specific needs of children with motor and physical disabilities,

Support offered to families regarding the proper use of orthoses for children,

Preparing parents regarding various working techniques adapted to each child’s diagnosis and needs so that the rehabilitation programme established by the physiotherapist is continued at home.

1. C) “Help and support opportunities for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders” Programme

Project Objectives:

Training of specialized personnel involved in the diagnosis, evaluation, education, therapy process and school and vocational integration of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders,

Experience exchange with specialists from France, U.K., Germany, Hungary and U.S.A.

Project Beneficiaries:

– 120 psychologists, infantile neuropsychiatry specialists, students from various associated faculties, parents.

Location: Bucharest

 

Registered Results:

Organizing and holding three international conferences, namely:

“Neurogenetic diagnosis and development of therapy programmes for people with autistic spectrum disorders” in 2007, “Autism and adolescence” in 2008 , “ADHS and resilience” in 2009; workshops were included in the programme and topics related to the following subjects were discussed: diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, new therapies and their effectiveness, the right to education of people with autism spectrum disorders, methods and new techniques in teaching children with autism spectrum disorders and their professional integration.

Dissemination of information between foreign and Romanian specialists whom are directly involved in the diagnosis, evaluation and rehabilitation of children with autism spectrum disorders, raising awareness and informing parents regarding the proper education and socio-professional integration of persons with autistic spectrum disorders.

1. D) “Training and refresher programme of personnel involved in the recovery and educational process of children with social and school adaptation difficulties”.

Project Objectives:

Facilitating the integration and participation in the school educational process of children with social adaptation problems,

Improving the quality of education at secondary level,

Supporting teachers to develop or improve teaching and communication methods and the way they relate and interact with students.

Project Beneficiaries:

200 teachers and professionals involved in providing alternative education: teachers, school counsellors, speech therapists, psycho-pedagogues, staff from educational resources and assistance centres in Bucharest and Ilfov and Arges Counties.

Location: Bucharest, Curtea de Arges.

Registered results:

Organization of five training sessions that took on two themes: “Methods and techniques of behavioural intervention needed for school integration of children with learning difficulties” and “Developing emotional intelligence in pre-school and school children. Theory and practice”.,

Organization of two training sessions for speech therapists held in Romania and United Kingdom,

Acquiring new working methods, innovative classroom teaching techniques by teachers, adapted to the characteristics and specific needs of each child,

Acquiring new knowledge and abilities to facilitate the teacher-student communication and interaction,

Acquiring new working methods and techniques by the personnel involved in offering educational alternative services, methods aimed at helping students learn key competencies and skills needed for school and professional integration.

1. E) “Love in a box” Campaign is already a tradition, a project which takes place each year around the winter holidays and lasts around three months. It started back in 1998 and the campaign was initiated by a group of U.K. sponsors.

The aim of the project is a charitable one, namely helping children and elderly found in poor rural communities, marginalized, institutionalized or hospitalized by offering them various specific winter items.

The project’s beneficiaries are children from families at risk, who live in poor communities, together with children and elderly from various social centres found in Giurgiu, Calarasi, Ialomita Counties and Bucharest.