On March 31, in the “Class of the Future” classroom of the “Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University in Chisinau, the national conference with an integrated educational game took place, attended by 25 teams from general education institutions in the districts of Edineț, Străseni and Taraclia.
The event included several stages: a panel discussion, an intellectual tour, the inauguration of the “U-Report Youth Garden”, the determination and awarding of U-Report ambassadors and winners.
The national conference with the integration of the final educational game was held in two languages: Romanian and Russian; which allowed young people to participate on a peer-to-peer basis.
Evghenii Poleacov, the president Association of intellectual games, mentioned that working with young people is a priority for the Association. For effective collaboration it is important to speak as an equal, to hear and be heard. The Association team suggests to young people that they can develop and live safely in Moldova. “Your Voice Matters Project!” helps young people to develop intellectually, develops their teamwork capabilities, creates friendship bonds between young people of different nationalities, including children from Ukraine, who are currently on the territory of Moldova. The project united over 10,000 students and over 600 teachers from three districts” – said Evghenii Poleacov.
The project “Your voice matters!”
Association of intellectual games from the Republic of Moldova
The young people were greeted by the heads of the District Education Directorates of Edineț, Străseni and Taraclia: Mariana Odobescu, Lucia Caciuc and Lilia Sarsaman. The ladies thanked the organizers for the invitation to participate in the project, and urged the students to believe in their own abilities, to discover and create something new.
The event continued with a discussion with young leaders about establishing partnerships between young people from different localities of the Republic to promote peace and sustainable development. The students narrated their experiences and related the beneficial examples of using the U-Report tool.
“We want to live in peace and sustainable development, and we are ready to speak loudly about it! But we must be united. Then our common voice cannot be ignored. I liked that the project gave me the opportunity to open up, to show what I’m capable of, to improve my ability to work in a team and defend my opinion,” said Andrei Taucci, student at the theoretical high school “St. Paisii Hilendarski” from the village of Corten.
The project “Your voice matters!”
Association of intellectual games from the Republic of Moldova
In the second part of the Conference, the final educational game took place, during which the participants showed logic and ingenuity, teamwork, critical thinking, knowledge in the field of promoting peace and sustainable development.
The battle was spectacular, interesting and intense until the last question, which is not surprising: educational institutions were fighting to become regional centers of student councils, centers for the promotion of peace and sustainable development; but also the establishment of U-Report ambassadors.
“The level is very high. They were tough but interesting questions. Everything is well organized. There are few projects like this, so we are happy to participate, and proud that our voice counts”, he noted Vasilii Colioglo, the captain of the “Infinity” team from the gymnasium “Ivan Inzov”, the city of Taraclia.
The project “Your voice matters!”
Association of intellectual games from the Republic of Moldova
Before finding out the winners, the participants went to the Dendrological Park in Chisinau, where together they planted the “U-Report Youth Garden”. This action allowed the young people to leave a mark, if not in the history of the planet, then certainly in the history of Chisinau.
To determine the winners, the results of various activities were taken into account: the involvement of students in thematic classes, in online educational games; final game results; the results of the activities of young leaders.
The winner of the project in the Edineț district became the Theoretical High School “Pan Halippa”, town Edinet; in Strașeni district – Radeni Gymnasium; in Taraclia district – “SPHilendarski” Theoretical High School, Corten village.
During the first half of April, regional student council centers will be inaugurated in these educational institutions, equipped with new furniture (tables, chairs, cabinets, beanbags), an interactive whiteboard, a laptop, a multifunction printer, a projector and a screen, speakers, information boards and stationery, educational games.
The project “Your voice matters!”
Association of intellectual games from the Republic of Moldova
Also, 12 U-Report ambassadors were chosen: four young leaders from each district, who, within the project, developed an Activity Plan of the Student Council dedicated to the active promotion of peace, sustainable development and defending their own opinion; they organized the involvement of students at intra-school and district level. U-Report ambassadors in the Edineț district have become young leaders from Viișoara High School and “Pan Halippa” Theoretical High School, Or. Edinet; in Străseni district – students from “Ion Creangă” Gymnasium, Micleușeni village, and Rădeni Gymnasium; in the Taraclia district – the young people of the “Hristo Botev” Theoretical High School, Valea Perjei village, and the “SP Hilendarski” Theoretical High School, Corten village.
The project included various activities: training sessions and strengthening the capacities of teachers and student council leaders; lessons for students, adapted to four age categories; educational games for 7th – 9th grade students; rational conferences with the integration of educational games; training sessions and workshops for the training of social workers working with refugees in BlueDots (support centers dedicated to refugee children and their families) and Temporary Placement Centers for refugees.
Young people want to build their future at home, that’s why they choose peace and sustainable development.
You can find out about other projects organized by the Association of intellectual games from the Republic of Moldova on the page Facebook.
