VIEW THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY

VIEW THE PRESS RELEASE

In many countries, teachers find themselves among those professional categories with the highest level of stress and exhaustion in the workplace. (Stoeber, J., & Rennert, D, 2008). Research shows that over 50% of teachers give up the profession in the first 5 years of their career. They feel that teaching is an extremely difficult one.

Often, the difficulties of the profession lead highly effective teachers towards social and emotional deficits and ultimately lead to burnout (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011; Wisniewski & Gargiulo, 1997). Not only do they lead to burnout, but teachers’s emotional exhaustion and loss can be costly for the education system, both financially and academically (Klusmann, Richter, & Lüdtke, 2016).

Few studies exist in Romania that analyze the well-being of teachers and its effects on teaching practices and the academic results of students.

Simona Baciu, founder of Transylvania College and Happy Teachers for Romania in partnership with Dr. Gilda Scarfe, founder of Positive Ed, UK evaluated and investigated the current level of well-being of teachers at the national level with the help of the “Teacher Flourishing Evaluation” tool that belongs to the Prosperity Center within Harvard University.

Harvard University’s Prosperity Center has developed a tool to measure human prosperity and targets five central areas: 1. happiness and life satisfaction; 2. physical and mental health; 3. purpose and meaning; 4. character and virtue; 5. Close social relationships.

A total of 5227 teachers from Romanian pre-university education participated in the study (4817 women and 366 men). Out of the 5227 participants, 1691 (31%) practice in rural areas and 3608 (69%) in urban areas.

The results of the study were promising with most participants feeling excited about their work. These results were valid regardless of the socio-demographic context. On average 83% reported being satisfied with their lives in general.

Our goal was to generate estimates of the number of teachers who are in the stages of prosperity, stagnation, or who have moderate mental health. These estimates showed that only 32.5% are in the prosperity stage, 5.6% are stagnating and the vast majority have reported moderate levels of mental health (61.9%).

We also found that although most of the participants were satisfied with their work, 36% felt alone. Of the respondents, 68.7% experienced positive emotions such as joy or happiness, but only two-thirds experienced such emotions in the last 2 weeks.

We also decided to collect qualitative data through consultations with a group of selected teachers because we felt that the data collected was disconnected from the harsh reality that teachers face. We held interviews with several of the initial survey respondents and found that over 80% report that their work has no positive effect on their mental health or well-being. This is partly due to the lack of autonomy and support offered by the school management, but also to the lack of understanding of the importance of the well-being of the teachers. It underlines the increased need to place the mental health and well-being of the entire school community in the spotlight of each educational institution in order to encourage teachers to discuss openly their concerns and concerns.

The interviewees emphasized the need to be listened to, appreciated, and understood and that recognizing the effort made can lead to a sense of appreciation. Teachers also said that in extremely difficult times, the mere appreciation and recognition of such a moment by those around them can lead to a sense of validation. The interviews revealed the importance of quality relationships between colleagues, but especially the importance of building a sense of “together”.

Teachers rely on more resources when they feel stressed or worried at work. Family and friends were named as the main sources of support by most of those interviewed. More than 85% said they were calling a colleague with a similar role, but few said they could turn to their direct superior. One possible cause for concern would be that 68% do not turn to anyone when they feel stressed or worried at work.

Teachers said that open discussions about mental health are essential to encourage people who are going through a difficult time to ask for help.

An extremely low percentage said they turn to a professional or doctor if they feel worried or stressed at work.

Other discoveries:

Most teachers agreed that their own well-being has a direct impact on their professional performance, especially on their ability to teach.

The difficulties faced by teachers are not necessarily related to the workload as is usually assumed, but often it can be a crisis situation in their personal life; difficulties in the relationship, deaths or serious illnesses but also the care of their own children are among the factors that can lead to increased stress and due to the total lack of emotional support in such situations.

Teachers have reported a number of professional situations that trigger a state of high stress. These include busy periods during the school year (the period of simulations and that of national evaluations), the pressure of extra-curricular activities, unpredictability, the pressure to keep up with changes but also the constant changes in school management

Many of the teachers who did not have a state of well-being discussed the desire to be in control and the efforts to do everything perfectly all the time; the awareness that they are not always possible seems to be a big part of their healing.

Most of them said they would be happy to have more support for how to manage their emotions and reactions.

Organization and prioritization are two essential skills that teachers must learn in order to maintain a state of well-being.

As a result of this study, we suggest a model for the implementation of educational programs aimed at the well-being of teachers, which may include accreditation standards, support areas, and course models. Planting a seed of emotional resilience within the framework of teachers’ professional development can allow teachers to build practices based on the science of human prosperity.

If teachers have strategies to support well-being they will be able to more easily manage the stressors that occur in the workplace and not just to survive, but to thrive.

And teachers realize that focusing on their own well-being is essential in sustaining students’ well-being (Sue Roffey, Wellbeing Australia, 2012).

The changing nature of society expects schools to address social justice, create a sense of belonging, develop resilience and keep away from media influences, which encourages unrealistic expectations of teachers (Mccallum & Price, 2010).

John Hattie drew a direct link between the teacher’s motivation, or lack thereof, and the academic results of the students.

“When teachers are exhausted or overwhelmed, their students’ academic results suffer because they become more concerned about their own survival.” (Hattie, 2013)

We hope that our research will provoke conversations about the importance of prioritizing the well-being and resilience of teachers.

On Monday, October 5, 2020, on the occasion of UNESCO International Education and Teacher’s Day, the C-Edu Education Cluster was launched in Cluj-Napoca – the first ecosystem effort in the field of education in Romania. This became a collaborative working tool to answer the great questions and challenges in the field of education of the XXI century, accentuated in recent months by the COVID19 pandemic, to increase the quality of access to lifelong learning. Founded by six universities from Cluj, Cluj County School Inspectorate, Transylvania College Foundation, Cluj County Council, and Cluj-Napoca City Hall, the education cluster’s mission is to the creation of an inclusive platform of co-design and cross-sectoral approach towards the community’s needs regarding education. C-Edu also encourages the creation of collaborative processes between the public and private sectors, between administrators, learning institutions, companies, and non-governmental organizations that allow better integration of young people into the labor market, once their educational path is completed.

The event was attended by Emil Boc, mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Marius Mânzat, vice-president of the Cluj County Council, Mircea Abrudean, prefect of Cluj County, Marinela Marc, general school inspector at ISJ Cluj, Anca Buzoianu, rector of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu”, Cornel Cătoi, rector of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Daniela Popoescu, vice-rector of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Mara Rațiu, vice-rector of the University of Arts and Design, Nelida Nedelcuț, vice-rector of the “Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy, Christian Săcărea, vice-chancellor of Babeș– Bolyai University and Simona Baciu – founder of Transylvania College Foundation.
Along with them, the members delegated to the working group of the education cluster of each member entity, were the representatives of the companies and non-governmental organizations that joined the education cluster. As well as two students from Cluj, representative of the young pupils and students at the event. On the occasion of the launch of the C-Edu Education Cluster, the founding members planted a maple tree inside the Regional Center for Creative Industries in Cluj Innovation Park within the “Green Cluj” program, thus laying the foundations of the Education Park. Such a tree was also planted by the prefect of Cluj County, Mircea Abrudean, as a representative of the Romanian Government, as well as by two young students from Cluj, on behalf of the Romanian Presidency.

The main role of the education cluster in the local and regional innovation ecosystem is to create a platform for collaboration and dialogue centered on education. This encourages participation and the use of collaborative tools that can seek solutions to the problems we face, along with many other communities during this period of ensuring access to lifelong learning.
According to its founders, the purpose of the C-Edu education cluster is, “to act as a space for dialogue and collaboration between the main actors involved in education, with the aim of improving the access of pupils and students to educational and formative structures, to increase the quality of educational processes and to have constant connective education with the economic environment. C-EDU will support the intersection of vocational training with research and innovation, in order to link education to the dynamics of social change.”

“The C-EDU education cluster assumes the concept of an innovative entity in terms of human capital formation adapted to the innovations and technological changes that condition educational development. The vision of C-EDU is that of a connected and competent educational ecosystem, which puts the student at the center of the educational processes, providing him/her with the tools and skills that will transform them into a competent, empathetic, and active participant in the structuring of the community”, explained by the articles of incorporation of the cluster.

“It is an extraordinary initiative, the first of its kind in Romania. In Cluj-Napoca, we are used to the partnership between the administration, the academic sector, NGOs, and companies for community projects. Now, this partnership is also materializing in the field of education. From the viewpoint of the Romanian Government, “we send you and offer you all the support we are capable of, because education is a priority and must be supported at all levels”, explained the prefect of Cluj County, Mircea Abrudean. All of the founding members of the education cluster explained their motivation to create this associative structure in order to put it at the service of the needs of education in Cluj-Napoca and beyond.

“In order to serve the needs of the community regarding access to education and learning, it is important to make a community effort. What we are witnessing today is a historic period that requires vertical changes in the way we relate to education. This year’s COVID19 pandemic has only amplified this need for change and made it more consequent. C-Edu is a response of our community, created in the midst of a pandemic and proof that we understand that the answers to our needs are more easily found together. Through the education cluster, our community will be able to maintain a very effective dialogue with the European level of decision and implementation of the recently launched European Agenda for Education – European Education Area, which has the objectives of the European Union for the period 2020-2025. We will also be able to work together in the context of the European Hub for Digital Education, which is designed as a space for collaboration and encouragement of synergies between the European political level of decision-making, the European Commission, and the regional and local actors relevant in achieving the objectives of digitizing access to education, of creating a national consultation network and strengthening the dialogue between the private and public sectors”, Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca..

“The event that we mark now is one that comes from our very string of Cluj people, the Transylvanians who gave the nation the “Transylvanian School,” said the president of CJ Alin Tișe.

“In the city of Cluj-Napoca, there is a high-performance network of clusters that is open to cooperation with successful entities in the country, the European Union, and with the countries in the region. A cluster on education will support and promote the renowned educational environment of the city, creating a platform for learning and applied practice built on tradition, openness, and development. The creation of a regional cluster on the topic of education represents an opportunity, but also a challenge for the Gheorghe Dima National Academy of Music, by facilitating the dialogue and collaboration between the pre-university environment along with the university one and the professional institutions. This will help facilitate the configuration of an interinstitutional curricular offer, which will develop transversal competencies in dedicated training programs. The connection of educational structures with professional ones, as well as the support of educational initiatives and projects by the business environment, will imprint an applicative character that will be able, in the future, to value the potential of young people in training. This exchange of information in the educational and cultural field, the organization of interdisciplinary programs, as well as the implementation of innovative projects in the field, will create the premises for the connection of the education in Cluj to the rapid dynamics of the change demanded by the transformations of the moment. We want this network of institutions to become a model of educational approach that supports professional training through applied practice, research and innovation” said Nelida Nedelcuț, vice-rector of the Ghoerghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj.

“The accession of the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca (UAD) in its initiative to set up an education cluster is based on the following arguments:
-the de facto connection of the pre-university education along with the university one to carry out projects that follow the entire educational route of children and young people;
-the integration of the educational system in Cluj in the sectoral pluri gear of the Cluj community will be obtained by setting up close cooperation with the local authorities and the business environment;
-close and coherent collaboration of the educational system in Cluj will come about with the initiatives in the non-governmental sector in order to continuously improve the quality of formal education in relation to the non-formal one.
UAD is convinced that the establishment of the C-EDU education cluster will contribute decisively to achieving the above-mentioned objectives. Moreover, such a cluster will certainly constitute an efficient tool of continuous innovation at the level of the Cluj community, given its cross-sectoral composition”, explained Mara Rațiu, vice-rector of UAD.

“UBB is delighted to be part of this educational initiative because it fits our mission. Not only are we actors involved in the education of young people, but also trainers, educators and teachers in Romania. We are true to our motto “tradition and excellence”. The tradition in education is reflected from the long history of this university, being over 400 years. At the same time, the excellence is reflected in the quality of the educational activities, in the research activity and the partnerships that we have. I hope this will be reflected in the partnership that is announced today, in a space of creative industries. UBB wants excellence to be found in all the activities we will develop within this cluster because, in the global world in which we grow, this type of partnership is needed to develop into a true pole of innovation” explained the vice-rector of UBB, Christian Săcărea.

“The educational activity within our university is characterized, in addition to traditional methods and interprofessional education, by lifelong learning and internationalization. For this reason, the creation of an educational cluster can only bring benefits and added value, both for the academic community and for the entire community of Cluj, as well as, bring together the main institutions in the field of education and private companies and for the interest of pupils and students. The University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu” Cluj-Napoca supports and strives to be involved in this innovative approach with the thought that we will be able to offer our expertise for the training of young people in Cluj. As well, we will benefit from new opportunities for the development of our activity. Together, we will contribute greatly to the formation and improvement of the human resource – the most important intellectual and professional resource”, said Dr. Anca Dana Buzoianu, rector of “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Training.

“USAMV Cluj-Napoca will be involved both academically and practically in C-Edu’s mission to train and heighten the student’s ability to actively participate in the development of society from a technological, innovative, and cultural point of view. Thus, we hope to strengthen Cluj as a pole of excellence in research, innovation, and development. The history and tradition of over 150 years of our university, as well as the modern educational strategies that currently guide it, represent our guarantee of involvement in achieving the objectives of the C-Edu Education Cluster” said Cornel Cătoi, Rector of USAMV Cluj.

“The future is in the eyes of the one who looks away. The Technical University of Cluj-Napoca joins this initiative in response to the mission and takes on the role of being a promoter of education in society, and implicitly in the Community of Cluj. As a member of Cluster structures, we believe that this education cluster will manage to integrate and mobilize sustained efforts to capitalize on the capacity of the parties for long-term results’ ‘ said Daniela Popescu, pre-rector of UTCN Cluj.

“Why an Education Cluster in Cluj-Napoca? Perhaps because it is a city where the municipality pays increased attention to education, through all the projects and programs that it finances. As well, it is a city of multiculturalism, which performs in many fields of activity and has top universities that are attractive, not only for high school graduates in the country, but, for many young people from abroad, which has the best performing pre-university education in the country. In addition, all of the decision-makers of today understand that, only together, the pre-university education, public and private and the academic and business environment (with the support of the authorities) can contribute to the development of collective projects. This will be beneficial for everything that means educational environment, including economically, because only an education connected to the labor market, which meets the needs of the community, is a quality education.

Why on October 5th? Because it is the most appropriate day to launch the first education cluster at the national level. This is the date on which the International Education Day is celebrated, a day when it is appropriate, more than ever, to meditate on the importance of education in the training of children and young people. As well, it is increasingly obvious to have the need for continuous personal and professional training and development. Platon said that “Education is the most beautiful gift that man can acquire”, and this Educational Cluster set up in Cluj-Napoca is to offer the Cluj community reasons for satisfaction through all the activities carried out in support of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of education!” concluded Marinela Marc, General School Inspector, Cluj County School Inspectorate

Transylvania College Foundation joins the initiative to establish the C-EDU Education Cluster, integrating their mission into its own. Born in the citadel of education, Cluj-Napoca, the C-EDU Cluster will become an element of coagulation of all forces that make education strong and ready to form the youth of the XXI century.
Twelve Maple trees were planted today and will grow, strong and towering, over the years to come, exactly as we all want our education to look like. Together we will make this dream come true. Today, the founders, together with the business community and the civil society in Cluj, signed a pact by which we say “YES” to modern education and the support of tomorrow’s leaders. Every young person has the right to be a leader who starts their path of life with confidence and courage because of the education we offer them.
Education is connected and collaborative, and the role of the C-EDU Cluster is to connect professional structures with educational ones while having the visibility and impact we want. Through this association, we want to support a new generation of young people who will be hired to contribute, support and develop the society in which we will live. Planting these twelve maples will become the symbol of growth, trust, and collaboration for education. I am sure that this is only the beginning and the founding members will assume their role and contribution to the development of modern education, adapted to our century” said Simona Baciu, founder of the Happy Teachers program for Romania and Transylvania College Foundation.

Additional details regarding the C-Edu Education Cluster:
https://c-edu.ro/
Primaria Cluj Napoca
CJ Cluj

More details on the European Commission’s efforts on the future of education:
www.ec.europa.eu/

2021, February – Teacher’s Well-being Month in Romanian Education

The Transylvania College Foundation, through the Happy Teachers for Romania Program and Finish Teacher Training Center in Sibiu, organized the second edition of the Teacher’s Wellbeing Month, in February. It was a project that promoted the benefits of teachers’ well-being, in the classroom and abroad, because the emotional and social health of the teacher has a positive impact on the behavior and school success of students.

This initiative was joined by ten private schools in the country: Transylvania College (Cluj-Napoca), Romanian-Finnish Secondary School (Bucharest), Avenor College (Bucharest), Prems School (Brasov), Paradis International School (Iasi), International School (Baia Mare), Romanian-British School (Craiova), Petre Ispirescu School (Constanța), Babel School (Timișoara) and ERI Romanian-Finnish Secondary School (Sibiu).

The purpose of this project was to encourage teachers to apply new methods to find emotional and behavioral balance, practice stress-reducing exercises that explore concentration techniques and thought patterns, develop individual action plans to strengthen motivation and enthusiasm and relieve stress, and organize communities, where the authentic voice of the teacher is heard, understood, and respected.

During the Teacher’s Wellness Month, a series of online activities dedicated to teachers were organized in order to provide the necessary support for them to feel supported in their role as creators of education and to pass on, to the students, joy, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude. “The great advantage of these virtual events was that we were able to create connections with teachers from all over the country, we were able to exchange experiences and ideas and we developed a beautiful community that was formed around the Happy Teachers for Romania program”, said Simona Baciu, founder of the Happy Teachers for Romania program. “We wanted teachers who may have felt alone to know that they can always ask for help and grow together. Because a teacher who puts their well-being first has an infinitely greater impact on the well-being of the students in front of them”, the message of Elena Lotrean, the founder of the Finnish Teacher Training Centre.

Calendar of events:

Teacher Wellbeing Webinar Series

On February 8 and 22, starting at 17:00, two webinars dedicated to teachers took place. This was together with founders and directors of private schools in Romania, during which methods, experiences, and models of good practice for the well-being of teachers were shared. Registration for these free events were available on the teachertraining.ro website in the Calendar section.

If it was Thursday, it was about Wellbeing!

On February 4th, 18th, and 25th, on the Happy Teachers for Romania Facebook page, Organized Conversations for Well-being, a series of live meetings occurred in which a discussion, together with Gabriela Secoșan – director of the training program Happy Teachers for Romania and Simona Baciu – the founder of Happy Teachers for Romania and the author of the book “The Teacher in You” and their guests – education specialists and opinion leaders in the field,  which was about the challenges that teachers face during this period and how they can manage them to maintain their Well-being. 

The guests of the three discussion sessions were: Nadia Crișan – Executive Director, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Gilda Scarfe – Director and founder of the innovative educational consulting project at global level Positive Ed, and Cătălina Novac – Senior International Student Advisor in the Office of Education and Sponsored Programs at Northern Virginia Community College.

Webinar Neuroscience and Teacher Wellbeing

On February 15, at 15:00, the Neuroscience and Wellbeing webinar will treat, in terms of chemistry and biology, how well-being influences the physiological capacities of the brain. The guest, Elena Lotrean, the founder of Finnish Teacher Training Center and Laura Popa, shared with the participants their experiences as teachers, mentors, director, and trainers. Some of the points reached during this meeting were: neuroplasticity, emotional blockages, and motivation of learning regardless of the context. This webinar was distributed live on the Finnish Teacher Training Centre page, and registration was done on the teachertraining.ro website (in the calendar section).

The community is us!

The teachers were invited to share examples of methods they use to bring and preserve well-being in their classroom within the Community of Happy Teachers for Romania. During the month of February, on the Happy Teachers for Romania Facebook page, a series of short recordings were shared by teachers for teachers.

Happy Teachers for Romania podcast

Along with all these events, the Happy Teachers for Romania Podcast was launched. The podcast was dedicated to Conversations for Well-being, which was created out of the desire to support teachers and all those who wanted to practice their profession with gentleness and enthusiasm. What can we do to feel better, overcome stress, anxiety, and restlessness, accept and valorize ourselves more? How can we create a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom by conveying positive thoughts to our students that will make them engage in our classes with joy? What does it take to be a happy teacher? The answers to these questions were found in the collection of Conversations for Well-being, in which the challenge of being a teacher in these times was discussed in a different way.

The Happy Teachers for Romania podcast is available in the audio version and on the following platforms:

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/4wxnsq4…

Google Podcasts

https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=…

Breaker

https://www.breaker.audio/podcast-pro…

Pocket Casts

https://pca.st/h8r2adi3

https://pca.st/h8r2adi3

RadioPublic

https://radiopublic.com/podcast-profe…

Anchor

2020, February – The month of the teacher’s well-being in Romanian education

Transylvania College Foundation, through the Happy Teachers for Romania Program, together with Finnish Teacher Training Center declared February, “The month of teacher’s well-being”.

Education in Romania is in dreadful need of trust, unity, and solidarity. Even if a teacher is alone in the classroom, they don’t have to be #AloneInTheClassroom. We trust teachers, but we also need to give them the support they need to feel comfortable in their role as creators of education. The emotional and social health of the teacher has a positive impact on the school behavior and success of the students.

The Finnish Teacher Training Center, together with the Happy Teachers for Romania Program, initiated a partnership for teachers. We started with ten founders from schools in Romania and together declared February the “Month of teacher’s well-being” in Romanian education. During  the month of February, ten workshops were dedicated to teachers and provided an open invitation to share methods, experiences, and models of good practice.

The ten workshops proposed experiences that proved every day that a mistake can be an excellent opportunity for learning, that the appreciation of teachers and children can move mountains, and that we need perseverance, patience and gentleness to get there. The seminars were free of charge and took place in Cluj-Napoca – Transylvania College Foundation, Bucharest – Romanian-Finnish Secondary School and Avenor College, Brasov – Prems School, Iasi – Paradis International School, Baia-Mare – International School, Craiova – British School, Constanta – Petre Ispirescu School, Timișoara– Babel School, Sibiu – Romanian-Finnish Primary School.

Calendar of events:

Cluj – Napoca – February 8 – Simona Baciu, Transylvania College

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-cluj/

Bucharest- February 15th – Alina Cîrjă, Romanian-Finnish Secondary School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-bucuresti-ro-fin/

Braşov- February 15th – Ornela Anghel, Prems School

https://teachertraining.ro/post_type=ajde_events&p=3784&preview=true

Iaşi- February 15th – Oana Albu, Paradis International School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-iasi-sc-int-paradis/

Baia-Mare- February 22- Flavia Zah, International School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-baia-mare-scoala-internationala/

Craiova- February 22nd- Cristina Cătană-Bucă, Romanian-British School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-craiova-sc-britanica/

Constanţa- February 22- Loredana Muhscina, Petre Ispirescu School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-constanta-scoala-petre-ispirescu/

Timişoara- February 29th – Monica Diaconu, Babel School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-timisoara-scoala-babel/

Sibiu- February 29th – Elena Lotrean, Romanian-Finnish Primary School

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-sibiu-scoala-primara-romano-finlandeza/

Bucharest- February 29th- Diana Segărceanu, Avenor College

https://teachertraining.ro/events/luna-februarie-luna-starii-de-bine-a-profesorului-bucuresti-avenor-college/

Every year, the Transylvania College Foundation organizes summer camps. They took place during the summer holidays, for a period of 4 weeks on the Transylvania College campus, as well as at Băişorii Mount, a location specially arranged for  for children camps.  

The activities include weekly themes. With a special emphasis on learning the ways of teamwork and respect for others and for oneself, learning new ways of relating, as well as on developing ecological knowledge and skills. Through the games made by the animators, the children practiced their playful skills with learning through play and action. Most of them are team games that have stimulated both the organizational capabilities of the entire group and the formation of participants as true leaders. To all these were added games and contests with the theme of respect for the environment, protection, and conservation of nature, pro-ecomount behavior.

During the camps from Mount Băişorii, the children learned about the Romanian traditions, in creative workshops led by folk craftsmen. At the same time, they discovered the love for nature and the joy of being together. The camp facilitated the easy and natural integration of children with disabilities and autistic children into the community.

The goal of the program: 

The development of self-confidence, taking on of responsibility, development of teamwork skills, development of knowledge, and ecological skills were the keywords that describe the purpose of these activities are carried out for all the participants in the camps.

Project target group:

Children and pupils aged 3 to 18 years

In 2019, the summer day camp creativity program called the ICC@TC Creativity Center was held during the summer vacation for a period of two weeks on the Transylvania College campus.

The program was addressed to children from the Cluj community aged between 8-14 years.

The camp gave the children the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities in the field of art and crafts, creative writing, audio and video production, dance and music, as well as the concept of mindfulness. During the ICC@TC the children practiced their passions and experienced new challenges without having strict barriers created by a particular curriculum.  The participants interacted with the technology and experimented through workshops coordinated by specialists in the field.

Through the activities that were proposed by the coordinators, the children developed passions, which helped them to perfect their personalities, to discover their talents and strengths. Most of the activities were team activities that stimulated both the organizational capacities of the entire group and the formation of participants as leaders.

Project objective:
The main objective of the summer camp activities was to develop the skills and creativity of children and pupils.
The purpose of the non-formal education program:
The discovery and development of passions, which helped the children to perfect their personalities.
Target group:
Children and pupils aged between 8 and 14 years

Sunday, 15.09.2019,
̈Creativity in Focus ̈ – Explosion of creativity in Cluj.
A premiere in Romania

For a long time, creativity was considered an important factor only for a small category of professionals. However, today, creativity has become an essential element in many areas of activity and working life. From the moment it was demonstrated that creativity can be trained, cultivating creative thinking has become an important task of the school.

The development of children’s creativity is a permanent concern for our schools, and one of these extraordinary schools is Transylvania College in Cluj-Napoca. The school has hosted 140 children from Cluj-Napoca, Turda, Băișoara, and Bihor, all between the ages of six through twelve, together with their parents. They have had the opportunity to take part in a different kind of school start, an extremely dynamic one, in a real explosion of creativity.

The Crea-Est Association along with the support of the Transylvania College Foundation, St. Brendan’s School of Innovation, the Heraldist Communication and Innovation Agency, and with the support of the Cluj Napoca City Hall, we have brought to Cluj two of the most important practitioners of creativity in the world. These were Dorte Nielsen (Denmark) and Tim Hurson (Canada), two extraordinary facilitators who have worked in multiple countries around the world. With their help, the Creativity in Focus event was a real movement of innovation, which combined creative theory and creative tools with the applied – practical part. Together, we learned the answers to some key questions – “What are the relationships between creativity and connectivity?”, “How does connectivity influence creativity?”, “How creative are we and how can we trigger ourselves and increase our creative contribution?” – which is the fruit of the scientific research activity and the recent documentation of the mentors present.

Gabriel Aldea ◘ https://komiti.media/

During this event, we demonstrated that we all have a creative potential which can be developed under the right circumstances. The tools proposed by the invited experts are applicable both in the framework of the staff and in that of group activity. Searching for the pedagogical reasons that link between play and innovation, we generated positive energy and stimulated our creativity. We did this through creative games and collaborative fun activities.

Our facilitators were the soul of the event – Tim Hurson, a global expert in innovation and leadership, and the author of two business bestsellers, and Dorte Nielsen, teacher, and expert in education and creativity, as well as, author of reference books on creativity which are multiple award-winners for her work. In addition to the mentioned guests, Andreea Nițoi (Crea-Est) and Simona Baciu (Transylvania College), facilitated the development of this creative workshop in the Romanian language.

Also, established at this event was the first edition of the Creative Writing Manual of children from Transylvania College and made into a textbook made by the members of the creative writing club in school. This was coordinated by the talented teacher, the young Ramona Nagy. The textbook includes creative stories made by students, who promise not to stop there.

According to the World Economic Forum in 2020, creativity will be the most important skill for any employee, and our educational system must be prepared for this paradigm shift. The ambition of the organizers in the long term is that in ten years, Romania will adopt creativity as a core value within the educational system.

Pictures from the event can be found HERE