European Child Guarantee · Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004
Free access to education, care and activities for every vulnerable child.
Read the document ↗the Social Innovation Lab · Vulnerable & Roma children
Inclusion for every child.
A child in care, a Roma child or a child with disabilities has the same right to technology and nature. We adapt our activities so that nobody is left out.
- The Child Guarantee
- Roma
- Disabilities
- Children in care
The European model we are bringing to Vrancea
One-to-one mentoring for a whole year.
Model: ROCK YOUR LIFE! (Germany, since 2008) · present in five countries
Every vulnerable teenager is paired with a student mentor for a year, to make a successful move from lower secondary school to upper secondary or vocational school.
The programme has no Romanian version. We are adapting it for children in rural areas, in care and from Roma communities.
✓What it has shown in Europe
- Over 10,000 mentor–pupil pairs in more than 50 locations
- ifo Institute evaluation: mentoring doubles the chances of starting vocational training
- Included in the OECD toolkit for youth policy
The cause · why we are starting this programme
Almost 1 in 3 Romanian children starts life at a social disadvantage.
Romania has one of the highest child poverty rates in the EU, and in villages the risk is even higher.
Children at risk of poverty or social exclusion
45.1%of people in Romania’s villages are at risk of poverty or social exclusionEurostat, 2023 · [3]
European alignment
What Europe asks. What we do in Vrancea.
The programme responds directly to the policies the European Union asks of Member States — applied at the level of Vrancea County, for all ages.
EU Roma strategic framework 2020–2030
Equality, inclusion and participation, with a focus on education and digital skills.
Read the document ↗Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030
Inclusive education and equal access to technology.
Read the document ↗Launch readiness
How ready we are before day one.
We are not waiting for funding to start thinking about the programme. Here, openly, is what is ready and what comes next.
69%
Readiness indexCalculated from 8 launch criteria- ✓European model analysed and documentedReady
- ✓Alignment with EU policies checkedReady
- ✓Context data from official sourcesReady
- ✓Expert profiles definedReady
- ✓Activities and objectives plannedReady
- ◐Own resources identified: space and equipmentPartial
- ○Implementation partners confirmedIn progress
- ○Funding securedIn progress
- Sept. 2026Analysis & European model
- Q4 2026Partners & funding applications
- 2027Pilot in Vrancea
- 2028+Expansion, under the new 2028–2034 EU financial framework
What we will do
One flagship model and three activities, one single goal.
One-to-one mentoring for a whole year
Every vulnerable teenager is paired with a student mentor for a year, to make a successful move from lower secondary school to upper secondary or vocational school..
Barrier-free clubs
Coding and robotics adapted for children with disabilities.
Roma girls in technology
Digital skills and career guidance for Roma girls and young women.
No hidden costs
Transport and materials covered, so that no child misses out.
Project status
In preparation · launch 2027- 1ConceptAnalysis & partners
- 2PilotFirst activities
- 3OngoingActive in the community
- 4ExpansionRegional scale-up
✓What we already have
- Meaningful Digital Inclusion — application submitted, phase 2 (2025)
- FutureShe — proposal for Roma girls and women (2025)
- All our activities are free for families
→Programme objectives
- The first mentor–pupil pairs in partner schools (2027)
- The first barrier-free club (2027)
- Ongoing mentoring for children in care
- A cohort of Roma girls in technology
One ecosystem
How it connects to what we already do.
No programme stands alone: each one uses the equipment, people and data of the others.
Linked programmeRural communitiesMentors reach partner villages.See →Linked programmeDigital InclusionAccessible technology for every child.See →Linked programmeYouth, gender & activismMentors for girls from vulnerable communities.See →Linked programmeSecond ChanceThe next step for those who have left school.See →
Our role · how we work
The programme starts with experts, not improvisation.
The same five steps as in all our programmes: data, experts, equipment, community, public results.
- Local diagnosisWe start from data: the schools, the villages and the real needs of young people in Vrancea.
- A programme built with expertsCurriculum and activities designed together with specialists and teachers.
- Training & equipmentWe bring kits, laptops and mentors wherever they are missing.
- Working in the communityFree, hands-on activities at school, in the village or out in the field.
- Measurement & public reportingWe count the results and publish them — verifiable figures, not promises.
Who we work with
The experts beside the children.
The specialist profiles we start and run the activities with. Their names appear in the project reports.
Social workersIdentify and support vulnerable children.Involved from the start
Support teachersAdapt activities for children with disabilities.Involved from the start
School mediatorsBuild trust with Roma families.Involved from the start
Mentors from technologyRole models for Roma girls.Involved from the start
What we hope for · how you can help
Be among those who launch the programme.
The programme is ready. Your support turns it from a plan into action, ahead of any funding.
Cover the hidden costs
Transport and materials for a vulnerable child.
Donate →Consistent mentors
A stable relationship matters more than any course.
Become a mentor →Adapted equipment
Large keyboards, screen readers, tablets.
Donate equipment →Care homes and NGOs
We work together for every child.
Let’s talk →Sources and methodology
Where the figures come from.
Our own figures (young people trained, schools, localities) come from the association’s records and are published in the impact report. Context statistics come from official sources, with the year of the latest available edition.
- Children at risk of poverty or social exclusion, Romania — the third-highest share in the EUEurostat · ilc_peps01n · 2024. View source ↗
- Children at risk of poverty or social exclusion, EU averageEurostat · ilc_peps01n · 2024. View source ↗
- Population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, rural areas, RomaniaEurostat · ilc_peps13n · 2023. View source ↗