Transparency
Our financial statements are filed annually with ANAF and are public. We show our activity report and contracts to anyone who asks.
About Asociația Grupul Verde · an NGO in Vrancea, Romania, since 2021
We started with one classroom and a stubborn idea.
The idea: a child in a small town in Vrancea deserves the same chances as one in Bucharest or any city in Europe. The projects with Fondation Orange, the UNESCO nomination and the youth-built living labs all started here.
- Vrancea · Romania
- Since 2021
- CIF 44109108
- UNESCO King Hamad ID 407
National and international recognition
Trust earned in Romania and worldwide.
All partners and recognition →
InternationalUNESCO King Hamad Prize 2026 nomination ↗
NationalEuropa FM “Green Medal”, 2025
EuropeanOfficial DigiEduHack 2025 event, supported by the European Commission
Euro-MediterraneanMember organization of the Anna Lindh Foundation Romania, 2026
FunderFundația Orange · Digital Education & AI Training Hub, 2024–2025
CurriculumCurriculum with 11 international distinctions
International network · 2026–2027
Part of Funding Fairer Futures, the European initiative for climate justice.
SubgranteeCAN Europe · WECF · European Commission
Grupul Verde delivers the GreenCode for Fairer Futures project in Vrancea, supported through Funding Fairer Futures: the initiative led by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and co-funded by the European Commission. Alongside more than 50 organisations selected across Europe, we bring European models of climate, environmental, technology and inclusion education home.
- TrainingCapacity building for the organisation, to European Commission standards.
- NetworkPeer learning and exchange with organisations across Europe.
- Just transitionSupport for campaigning and advocacy for a fair climate transition.
The CAN Europe network
The initiative is led by CAN Europe, Europe’s largest coalition of climate organisations. Among the network’s members:
Belgrade Open SchoolSerbia
Climate AnalyticsGermany
Italian Climate NetworkItaly
European Grandparents for ClimateEurope
Youth for Climate NLNetherlands
The logos belong to members of the CAN Europe network and identify the network; they are not direct partners of the association.
Our mission
Turning pixels into oxygen.
It sounds like a slogan. For us it is a daily method: we use technology — code, robots, AI, sensors — to reconnect young people with the natural world. A teenager who builds an air-quality sensor sees their town differently.
Free, for every child — whatever their postcode
Digital and green, never apart
Rooted in the community, not parachuted into it
The people behind the numbers
From children to grandparents.
Asociația Grupul Verde means workshops where generations work at the same table.
Children and adults at the same workbench
Digital for every generation
Technology reaches every village
The promise
Five years on, no child has ever paid a single leu to learn with us.
And that is exactly how it will stay. Funding comes from grants, partners and people who believe — never from the pockets of the families we serve.
100%of costs covered by funders and donors, for every family
01 · What guides us
Four principles we don’t negotiate.
Accessibility
Technology should not be a privilege. Our materials remain open and free — in schools, online, for every family that cannot afford more.
Partnership
We work with local authorities and schools, not over their heads. Real partners show up in November too — not just for the press release in June.
Sustainability
Our real indicator is retention — how many young people come back — not how many events we ticked off. We count returns, not attendance.
02 · The journey · 2021 → today
Five years, told honestly.
- 2021
The first club
Asociația Grupul Verde is founded in Vrancea County. A handful of volunteers, one room, borrowed laptops. The first Scratch club for children aged 7–14. Online courses also begin for schools in 9 cities (Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Sibiu, Brașov, Baia Mare, Constanța, Timișoara, Arad and Oradea): by 2026, 1,600+ young people in 18+ schools. See the map.
- 2022
City Hall says yes
The local authority starts co-funding — a sign that the project belongs to the community, not just to us. The network of schools begins to grow.
- 2023
Robots, sensors & girls in tech
Marty robots and Arduino enter the classroom. TechWomen Empowerment Hub launches, aiming for 55% girls in every cohort.
- 2024
The flagship project
Digital Education & AI Training Hub, funded by Fondation Orange, becomes the largest cohort — 360+ beneficiaries. Young people move from courses to technology they build themselves.
- 2025
The town’s first hackathon
EduHack — the first local civic hackathon. Young people prototype solutions to real community problems. City Hall reviews a prototype.
- 2026 — today
UNESCO calls
The “Green Futures” application is officially nominated for the UNESCO King Hamad Prize (ID 407). GreenCode for Fairer Futures starts with WECF. Vision 2035 takes shape.
03 · The people · Team & volunteers
Behind every number, a person who stayed.
Coordinators, mentors, teachers and volunteers from Vrancea and beyond.
Founder & president
Partnerships, funding, Vision 2035
Programme coordinator
AI literacy, Marty robotics, living labs
Environment coordinator
BGCI, iNaturalist, Subcarpathian expeditions
Volunteer coordinator
560+ young people, 38+ schools, 11 localities
The people beside us · 2021–2026
Together with those who believed in Vrancea’s children.
None of what you see here would have happened without them: the foundations and companies that supported our programmes, the teachers who opened their classrooms, the local authority that supported our educational centre, and the European networks we learn from. Thank you.
01
Funders & sponsors
They put resources behind our programmes: grants, sponsorships, equipment.
4 partners- Funder2024–2025
Digital Education & AI Training Hub
Fundația Orange
A training hub for digital education and artificial intelligence for children and young people in Vrancea.
Digital education & AI → 
Partner2026–2027GreenCode for Fairer Futures
WECF
Technology and climate justice for young people, with the international Women Engage for a Common Future network.
Youth, gender & activism →
Sponsor2022–2023Generația Tech
JYSK
Sponsor of the programme that trained 100 young people from Vrancea in IT.
Digital education & AI →
Sponsor2022–2023Generația Tech
Luxoft
Sponsor of the programme that trained 100 young people from Vrancea in IT.
Digital education & AI →
02
Education & technology
Partners who bring clubs, curriculum and robots into the classroom.
3 partners
Partnersince 2024CODE Kids coding club
Fundația Progress · CODE Kids
A coding club for children, part of Fundația Progress’s CODE Kids network.
Digital education & AI →
Partner2022–2023IT training for 100 young people
Generația Tech
Digital and IT skills courses for young people starting out towards a career in tech.
Digital education & AI →
Partnersince 2022Educational robotics with Marty the Robot
Robotical · Marty the Robot
Children learn coding and logical thinking by building and programming Marty the Robot.
Digital education & AI →
03
European networks
They connect us to European education and conservation communities.
4 partners
MemberBotanic Gardens Conservation International
BGCI
The global network of botanic gardens: plant conservation and education for biodiversity.
Environment & biodiversity →- Membersince 2026
Anna Lindh Foundation Romania Network
Anna Lindh Foundation · Euromed
The largest civil society network in the Euro-Mediterranean region: intercultural dialogue and inclusive societies. Member organization since 22 June 2026.
About our membership → - Organiser2025
Official EduHack event
DigiEduHack
An education innovation hackathon, supported by the European Commission, where young people pitch digital solutions.
Digital education & AI → 
Partner2022The #SustainCityHack hackathon
French Institute in Romania · French Embassy
A 36-hour online hackathon for sustainable cities: urban mobility, regeneration and planning.
Digital education & AI →
04
Recognition
Institutions that publicly recognised the association’s work.
2 partners- Recognition2026 · ID 407
UNESCO King Hamad Prize nomination ↗
CNR-UNESCO
UNESCO’s prize for the use of technology in education; the association was nominated in 2026.
Digital education & AI → - Recognition2025
Europa FM “Green Medal”
Europa FM
A national distinction awarded to the association in 2025 by the Europa FM radio station.
Environment & biodiversity →
We only show organisations we have actually worked with. Logos are used with each partner’s agreement.
We build programmes for young people in Vrancea together — companies, foundations, schools and institutions.
Find us elsewhere · external proof
You don’t have to take our word for it.
Here is where Asociația Grupul Verde appears on other institutions’ and publications’ websites. Each card opens the original source.
Only public sources checked on 16 October 2026 are listed. Items marked “promo” appeared in the newspaper’s promotional section. Sources are in Romanian.
- International institutionFrench Institute
#SustainCityHack partner, April 2022
The association is listed under “Partners” on the official page of the hackathon co-organised by the French Embassy and the French Institute in Romania.
Open source ↗institutfrancais.ro - National mediaEuropa FM
“Green Medal”, 7 February 2025
A feature on how the association teaches children to use technology to protect the environment.
Open source ↗europafm.ro - Local media · promoZVZiarul de Vrancea
Digital weekend, 22–23 March 2025
Children from Vrancea and Bucharest discovered technology over a weekend of workshops. Published in the “Brand voice” section.
Open source ↗ziaruldevrancea.ro - Local media · promoZVZiarul de Vrancea
Educational event, Bacău and Vrancea
A photo report from the association’s educational event for children from Bacău and Vrancea. Published in the “Brand voice” section.
Open source ↗ziaruldevrancea.ro - CertificationsCRCredly
The programme director’s certifications
Verifiable digital badges of Marian Dumitru, the association’s director of education programmes.
Open source ↗credly.com
2021–2026 · Results, year by year
Five years of results, recognised in Romania and in Europe.
- 560+young people trained in Vrancea
- 38+partner schools and clubs
- 1,600+young people online, 9 cities
- 2021The start
The first club
The first Scratch club for children aged 7–14 and the first online courses for schools in 9 cities.
- 9cities with online courses
- 7–14years old, first learners
Grupul VerdeProgramme: Digital education & AI → - 2022Sponsors · partners
Generația Tech and #SustainCityHack
IT training for 100 young people, backed by JYSK and Luxoft. Partner of the #SustainCityHack hackathon, organised by the French Embassy and the French Institute in Romania. The local authority starts co-funding.
- 100young people trained in IT
- 36 hhackathon for sustainable cities
Programme: Digital education & AI → - 2023First grant
Robots, sensors and girls in tech
Youth Code Academy, Marty and Arduino robots in class and the TechWomen Empowerment Hub, aiming for 55% girls in every cohort.
- 293direct beneficiaries
- 15partner schools
- 1grant won
Programme: Youth, gender & activism → - 2024Funder
The flagship project
Digital Education & AI Training Hub, funded by Fundația Orange: our largest cohort yet and 100 young people who built their own sensors.
- 360+beneficiaries
- ×2partner schools: 30
- 8localities
Programme: Digital education & AI → - 2025National recognition
Green Medal and the first hackathon
Europa FM’s “Green Medal” and EduHack, an official DigiEduHack event supported by the European Commission. Young people use technology for their town.
- 443beneficiaries
- 38+partner schools
- 52volunteers
- 3grants
Programme: Environment & biodiversity → - 2026International
UNESCO nomination
The “Green Futures” file is nominated for the UNESCO King Hamad Prize (ID 407). GreenCode for Fairer Futures starts with WECF.
- ID 407UNESCO King Hamad Prize
- 560+young people trained since 2021
Programme: Youth, gender & activism →
11
Internationally awarded curriculum
Our coding and AI workshops use an international partner’s curriculum, awarded and certified for its teaching quality. The distinctions below belong to that partner, not to the association.
2Awards won
- Digital Education Awards 2022
- EFF Award 2022 · Gold
3International finalist
- Bett Awards 2023
Global Franchise Awards 2023
Global Franchise Awards 2025
2Certified teaching quality
- Education Alliance Finland
EdTech Impact 2025
4Networks and partnerships
EtonX partner
ITU Telecom World
IFA member
Hungarian Franchise Association
Frequently asked questions
Everything you want to know about us.
What is Asociația Grupul Verde?
Asociația Grupul Verde is an NGO from Vrancea, active since 2021. We offer free digital education (Code.org, robotics, AI literacy, youth-built technology) and environmental programmes (BGCI, iNaturalist) for children and young people. We have trained 560+ young people in 38+ schools across 11 localities in Vrancea.
How much does it cost to take part in Asociația Grupul Verde programmes?
Nothing. No child has ever paid to learn at Asociația Grupul Verde. All courses, equipment and certifications are free, funded by European grants (Fondation Orange, WECF, the local authority) and private donations.
Which international certifications can be earned?
Certificates of participation from Asociația Grupul Verde and, in Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects, Youthpass — the European document that records the skills gained in youth exchanges, volunteering and solidarity projects.
Who can take part in the programmes?
Children and young people from Vrancea aged 7 to 25, whatever their background. The programmes are free, with a focus on inclusion: 55% girls in tech cohorts and programmes in villages with limited internet access.
How can I support Asociația Grupul Verde?
Through a direct donation or by redirecting 3.5% of your income tax, volunteering as a coding mentor or nature guide, or an institutional partnership. Every contribution goes straight into the classroom.
What’s next
The next steps, for every age.
From 2027, the Green Innovation Hub launches seven initiatives, from babies to older people — brought to Vrancea from European models that have worked.
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027Vrancea ReadyEuropean model: A digital twin of the locality.EnvironmentAll agesTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027Nature RestoredEuropean model: Listen to the Forest — AI acoustic stations.EnvironmentTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027Clean Energy for VillagesEuropean model: The thermal imaging walk.EnvironmentRural→
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027Media & DemocracyEuropean model: Journalists in the classroom.CivicAll agesTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027Second ChanceEuropean model: The production school.EducationYouth & genderTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027Inclusion for Every ChildEuropean model: One-to-one mentoring, for a whole year.EducationRuralAll ages→
Green Innovation HubLaunching 2027First StepsEuropean model: The book suitcase for babies.EducationAll agesEnvironment→The Green Innovation Hub: methodology, selection criteria and the full portfolio.
This is who we are
Now you know us. Shall we work together?
Portfolio 2026–2027
What we build next, with young people.
About us is part of the 2026–2027 portfolio of Asociația Grupul Verde: 43 programme lines in which young people build technology for nature, protected species, climate and democracy, with partners from Romania and the EU through Horizon Europe, LIFE, Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and CERV.
European Solidarity Corps
Obtaining the ESC Quality Label
Asociația Grupul Verde is preparing its application for the European Solidarity Corps Quality Label, so it can host and send volunteers.
Target programme: European Solidarity Corps
Linked to: For funders, Contact
Technology, AI and resilience
AI for local climate resilience
AI models trained by young people on local data (temperature, rainfall, soil) that tell a community what to prepare before a heatwave summer.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Adaptation Mission
Linked to: Agentic AI, Vrancea Ready
Open science and research
European Researchers’ Night + Researchers at Schools
Researchers in classrooms and an open evening where young people show their prototypes: robots, sensors, apps for nature.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · MSCA
Linked to: R&D Hub — Research & Innovation, Young Innovators Incubator
Living labs for nature and climate
Soil living labs: Continental, Black Sea (Pontic) and Steppic regions
Three of Romania’s biogeographical regions, one protocol: young people measure soil moisture and carbon with sensors they build.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Soil Mission
Linked to: Nature Restored, Sensors in Protected Areas
Democracy, memory and citizenship
Remembering democratic transitions (1989)
Interviews with witnesses of 1989, recorded and transcribed by pupils into an open digital archive, compared with other countries in the region.
Target programme: CERV · Creative Europe
Linked to: Civic and legal education, Media & Democracy
Erasmus+ and mobility
Youth project with the Republic of Moldova / Ukraine
Young people from three neighbouring countries build a digital tool together for a shared problem: water, energy or reliable information.
Target programme: Erasmus+ (EACEA)
Linked to: Youth, gender & activism, Media & Democracy
New project · nationwide
Education for All: online tutoring for Romania’s national exams.
A volunteer teacher “adopts” a pupil in grades 5–12, from any county, and prepares them online for the National Assessment or Baccalaureate, at no cost to the family.
- Pupils, grades 5–12
- Volunteer teachers
- CSR companies
- Schools and councils
Get involved →Site in Romanian