Community School Development Project in Moldova (phase V)

Project duration: April, 2014 – March, 2016

Implementer: Programul Educațional Pas cu Pas/ Step by Step Moldova

Financial support: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Other partners: ISSA (International Step by Step Association), Ukranian Step by Step Foundation, ContinYou (UK), Center for Children with Special Needs “Sperantsa” (Moldova)

Project objective: empower schools, by developing own new democratic culture open to multiple partnerships and to meaningful learning for people in all age groups, to become catalysts of social changes in their whole community.

Project activities in tranche V:

As in the previous months, in order to facilitate the networking between the existing CSs and to spread the network, the activities were carried out in clusters –northern, southern, central, and more recently south-eastern clusters of CS.

Training activities

In the reporting period four of the new schools had one round of 2-day trainings with a special focus on developing problem solving skills based on local issues, on community projects development and resources mobilization (including human resources).

Networking activities

The Northern CSs cluster reunion of 23 representatives from 8 CSs from 2 regions was organized on the premises of one of the oldest community schools in these regions – the rural school in Ștefănești community, combining the opportunities of a study visit and a cluster thematic meeting, having the generic theme Local projects – minimum investment, maximum impact. One of the aims of the event was to disseminate the successful practices of the more experienced community schools (CS Ștefănești, CS Roșietici, CS Sănătăuca, CS Cuhureștii de Sus) and, by bringing together older and newer CSs, help them learn from each other. For the newer CSs the presentations themselves and the discussions that followed were a good opportunity to learn and to reflect on ways to address own school and community issues. The older community schools shared also their experience in seeking donor support for their local projects. This practical aspect was of big relevance to the new CSs, who asked for a training on projects writing and application.

The meeting of the Southern CSs cluster took place in Cahul, on the premises of the CS A.Donici (primary school). Attending it were 28 representatives from 11 community schools from 3 regions. The exchange of experience among the older and newer schools brought into their attention, as one of the bigger challenges for local initiatives development, the limited financial resources problem. The participants considered, besides the international agencies (quite few) as potential donors, the potential of local economic agents (whom and how to approach for support). They jointly worked out some rules for fundraising campaigns, based on the experience of the host CS has with such campaigns for helping children with disabilities, as well as other successful fundraising campaigns organized in Moldova.

The meeting of the Southern-Eastern CSs cluster was hosted by CS from Ștefan Vodă (primary school Gr.Vieru) and was attended by 34 representatives from 12 CSs from 3 regions. The focus of the meeting was on the CS Quality Standards, their relevance for schools in the process of school system optimization. The information was of considerable interest for the participants from several schools that consider joining the network.

The meeting participants had a visit to the crafts studio, recently created in the host school, which is open every Saturday to community members (students, young people from the neighboring town, elderly people et. al) eager to learn special crochet techniques. One of the trainers is a school teacher and the other is the priest’s wife, and the materials are procured with the help of a local entrepreneur. The craft works produced are sold at various fairs, and the money received for them are used to buy school supplies for students from vulnerable families.

The meeting participants  reiterated the request for a training in projects writing.

Technical assistance to Community Schools

Each of the new schools that joined the network, with the support of regional and national coordinators, has gone through an exercise of identifying the needs of their school and community, made an analysis of existing human and material resources, and came up with specific action plans. The technical assistance solicited for the local projects implementation, both by the new and most active old CSs was further  considered by the SBSM team and, when found reasonable and feasable, the schools got some starting up support.