What we started, you can take further.
Pick an idea from the Hub that fits you. Together, we turn it into a real project for Vrancea’s children.
Choose how to get involvedCSR partnerships for environment and technology
· from Romania, for partners across the EUThe Green Innovation Hub.
This is where we prepare tomorrow’s green programmes for Vrancea’s children and young people: technology working for nature. You choose what to support; we take care of the rest and show you, clearly, what changed.
- Environment + technology
- 7 European pilots
- Pilot 2027
- Tax-deductible sponsorship
5yearsof free programmes in Vrancea
560+young peoplein our programmes, 2021–2026
38+schools and clubspartners in 11 localities
7European pilotsready to launch in 2027
What we have achieved · 2021–2026
Our results, on the map.
We’re not starting from scratch. Since 2021, more than 560 young people have learned with us in Vrancea, in 38+ schools, and another 1,600 have joined our online courses in 9 cities. Select a point to see what we did there.
- Adjud (Vrancea County) · The association’s home base · since 2021. Our permanent programmes run here, at the Orange Digital Center (64 Alexandru Ioan Cuza St).
- Bacău (Bacău County) · Eco Tech Creators #CodeKids · August 2024. A Bacău–Adjud STEM weekend: children from Bacău County and from Adjud explored science, technology and engineering through hands-on activities.
- Bucharest (Bucharest) · Digital Weekend – First Steps in Technology · 22–23 March 2025. Two days in which children from Adjud and teenagers from Bucharest worked together, at the same time: visual programming, logic diagrams and first steps in apps. For many of our children it was their first hands-on experience with a laptop.
- Sinaia (Prahova County) · Erasmus+ · Digital Marketing Bootcamp · February 2025. A young beneficiary of the association took part in an Erasmus+ digital marketing course, 24–28 February 2025.
- Focșani (Vrancea County) · Participants from Focșani. The county seat of Vrancea.
- Mărășești (Vrancea County) · Participants from Mărășești. A town in Vrancea, on the road between Adjud and Focșani.
- Panciu (Vrancea County) · Participants from Panciu. A town in the Vrancea hills.
- Homocea (Vrancea County) · Participants from Homocea. A rural commune in Vrancea, near Adjud.
- Răcoasa (Vrancea County) · Participants from Răcoasa. A rural commune in Vrancea.
- Cluj-Napoca (Cluj County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Cluj-Napoca and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Iași (Iași County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Iași and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Sibiu (Sibiu County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Sibiu and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Brașov (Brașov County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Brașov and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Baia Mare (Maramureș County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Baia Mare and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Constanța (Constanța County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Constanța and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Timișoara (Timiș County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Timișoara and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Arad (Arad County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Arad and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
- Oradea (Bihor County) · Online courses for schools · 2021–2026. Online courses for 2–3 schools in Oradea and the surrounding localities: lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools.
The map only shows localities for which we have attendance lists or reports. Outline: Natural Earth.
Start small. Grow together.
We begin with one project in one community. If it works, we take it to more places, and every year we show you what changed.
Let’s talkEnvironment + technology
Nature needs data. Technology needs a purpose.
Ecology and technology are usually taught separately. In the Hub we put them at the same table: children use technology to understand and protect the nature around them.
Environment
Nature and climate
- Forests, water and soil monitored
- Clean energy and warmer homes
- Preparedness for earthquakes and droughts
Technology
Useful technology
- AI that recognises species by sound
- Sensors built by young people themselves
- Digital maps and open data
The result
People who care for their place
- Young people with green and digital skills
- Town halls and schools with real data
- Solutions that last beyond the project
The Hub’s programmes
Technology for nature, built by children, young people and adults.
In the Hub, participants don’t just learn technology: they build it themselves, to protect the nature around them. Each age group has its own path.
Young inventors for nature
Visual coding, micro:bit and first sensors: children discover how nature “speaks” through data.
ExamplesThe school weather station · a recycling game · a map of the trees in the schoolyard
Green data workshop
Arduino, sensors, AI and apps: young people build real environmental tools and test them in the field.
ExamplesAir and water sensors · an app that recognises birds · an environmental hackathon
Green and digital skills
Teachers, parents, employees and older people learn to use environmental data and digital tools in everyday life.
ExamplesTeacher training · open data for town halls · retraining for green jobs
The programmes will start gradually from 2027, as we secure funding. All build on our experience so far: Marty robots, Arduino and micro:bit kits, and 100 young people who built sensors in 2024.
The data behind the Hub
Why the Hub is needed right here in Vrancea.
Official figures show where Romania’s children and young people fall behind, especially in rural areas. In Vrancea, two in three people live in a village.
67.3%
of Vrancea’s population lives in rural areas
2021 Census, INS26.3%
of rural young people leave school early; in cities: 3.3%
European Commission, 202532%
of adults in Romania have basic digital skills; last in the EU
Eurostat, 202557.9%
of rural children attend kindergarten (ages 3–6); in cities: 75.3%
European Commission, 2025Romania compared with the EU average
The bar shows Romania; the black line, the European Union average. Tap or hover over a bar for details.
RomaniaEU average
Early leavers from education (18–24, 2024)16.8%
Pupils below basic level in maths (PISA 2022)48.6%
Adults with basic digital skills (2025)32%
Young people 16–24 with basic digital skills (2025)53.3%
View the data as a table
| Indicator | Romania | EU average |
|---|---|---|
| Early leavers from education (18–24, 2024) | 16.8% | 9.4% |
| Pupils below basic level in maths (PISA 2022) | 48.6% | 29.5% |
| Adults with basic digital skills (2025) | 32% | 60% |
| Young people 16–24 with basic digital skills (2025) | 53.3% | 74.6% |
Where school is lost
Early leaving from education in Romania, by where young people live (2024).
Villages26.3%
Towns and suburbs15.3%
Cities3.3%
View the data as a table
| Villages | 26.3% |
| Towns and suburbs | 15.3% |
| Cities | 3.3% |
Sources: European Commission, Education and Training Monitor 2025 – Romania · Eurostat, digital skills 2025 · Eurostat, young people 16–24, 2025 · OECD, PISA 2022 · INS, 2021 Census (Vrancea statistics office)
From Vrancea to the national level
We start locally. We build for the whole country.
Each initiative starts in a Vrancea community, but is designed from the outset so that other counties can take it up.
Local · Vrancea
Pilots in schools and villages
From 2027, the initiatives start in partner localities in Vrancea, with teachers, parents and town halls involved from day one.
National · Romania
Models others can adopt
We document everything: an implementation guide, open materials and public results, so other schools, NGOs and town halls can repeat the pilot.
European · EU
In step with Europe
What we do in Vrancea helps Romania reach its European goals for education, climate and inclusion.
InitiativeWhat we do in VranceaHow it helps nationally
Vrancea Ready
What we do in VranceaDigital risk maps and first-aid drills in schools and villages.
How it helps nationallyA culture of crisis preparedness, as called for by the EU “Preparedness Union” Strategy (2025). Document ↗
Nature Restored
What we do in VranceaAI acoustic stations and biodiversity data gathered by young people in Vrancea’s nature.
How it helps nationallyLocal data for Romania’s National Nature Restoration Plan, required by Regulation (EU) 2024/1991. Document ↗
Clean Energy for Villages
What we do in VranceaThermographic walks with young people: families see where they lose heat and how to cut their bills.
How it helps nationallyLinks to Romania’s Social Climate Plan, funded by the Social Climate Fund (2026–2032). Document ↗
Media & Democracy
What we do in VranceaJournalists in the classroom: pupils learn to check information before sharing it.
How it helps nationallyResilience to disinformation, a goal of the European Democracy Shield (2025). Document ↗
Second Chance
What we do in VranceaA production school: young people out of education and work learn a digital or green trade.
How it helps nationallySupports the Youth Guarantee, applied in Romania through its national implementation plan. Document ↗
Inclusion for Every Child
What we do in VranceaOne-to-one mentoring, for a whole year, for children from vulnerable families.
How it helps nationallyContributes to Romania’s National Action Plan for the European Child Guarantee. Document ↗
First Steps
What we do in VranceaThe book suitcase for babies and their parents, in villages and towns.
How it helps nationallySupports the Barcelona targets for early childhood education set by the EU Council (2022). Document ↗
What your organisation gains
Do good. And be able to show it.
The project changes something real for children, and you get everything you need to tell the story: figures, photos and a partner you can trust.
01
Figures ready to report
How many children took part, what they learned and what changed after 3 and 12 months. It goes straight into your sustainability report.
02
Linked to the big goals
Every initiative answers a European priority and the UN Goals for education, climate and equal opportunities.
03
Colleagues involved, not just informed
Your employees can be mentors or guides for a day. We prepare everything.
04
Visibility, done tastefully
Your organisation’s name appears on the initiative page, in the impact report and in our joint communication.
05
Tax-deductible sponsorship
We are on the Romanian tax authority’s register of eligible entities, so sponsorship can be deducted from tax, within the legal limits.
06
A serious partner
Accounts filed with the tax authority every year, an independent auditor, and partners such as Fondation Orange and WECF.
For marketing and CSR
Stories your brand can tell with pride.
A partnership with the Hub is more than a logo on a poster. It is a real story, with people, places and results, which we build and communicate together.
Adopt a monitoring station
A sensor placed in Vrancea’s nature, carrying your company’s name. Its data appears publicly on a map.
A green hackathon with your employees
Your employees and young people from Vrancea build a solution to a real environmental problem together, in a day.
A new classroom in a village school
Your equipment opens a green technology workshop, with a launch event to which we invite the local press.
A case study for your CSR report
Ready to include in your sustainability report: context, activities, measured figures and photos.
What your marketing team receives
Everything needed for the story to reach the public, accurately and safely.
- Photos and video from the field, with parents’ written consent
- Copy and quotes ready to publish, in Romanian and English
- A joint press release and a communication calendar
- A mention on the initiative page and in the impact report
- Child protection: faces blurred where there is no consent
- Media experience: Europa FM, Ziarul de Vrancea, digieduhack.com
The 2027 portfolio
Seven initiatives, seven European models.
Each initiative has its own page covering the problem, the European model, EU policy alignment, the readiness index and concrete needs.
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%Vrancea ReadyEuropean model: A digital twin of the locality.EnvironmentAll agesTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%Nature RestoredEuropean model: Listen to the Forest — AI-powered acoustic stations.EnvironmentTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%Clean Energy for VillagesEuropean model: the thermographic walk.EnvironmentRural→
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%Media & DemocracyEuropean model: Journalists in the classroom.CivicAll agesTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%Second ChanceEuropean model: The production school.EducationYouth & genderTechnology & AI→
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%Inclusion for Every ChildEuropean model: One-to-one mentoring, for a whole year.EducationRuralAll ages→
Green Innovation HubReadiness 69%First StepsEuropean model: The book suitcase for babies.EducationAll agesEnvironment→The Green Innovation Hub: methodology, selection criteria and the full portfolio.
Ways to get involved
Choose how close you want to be.
No rigid packages. You can start with a volunteering day and, if you like it, support a whole project.
Founding partner
We build an initiative together, from scratch.
- Your organisation’s name beside the initiative, as founding partner
- A say in choosing the communities and indicators
- A dedicated impact report at the end of the year
Pilot funder
Support the 2027 pilot of one initiative, in a Vrancea community.
- A pilot with a clear start, end and indicators
- Interim and final reports
- A field visit for your team
Corporate volunteering
Your teams become mentors, engineers or guides, for a day or for a year.
- Activities prepared and coordinated by us
- Volunteer contracts under Romanian Law 78/2014
- A volunteering certificate on request
Equipment and services
Laptops, sensors, kits or pro bono services for the initiatives.
- Equipment goes to partner schools and villages
- An in-kind sponsorship contract
- Every item accounted for in the final report
How we work together
From the first conversation to the final report.
- A 30-minute conversationYou tell us what interests you: the theme, the community, the timeline and what you need to report.
- A written proposalYou receive a proposal with activities, indicators, timeline and budget, matched to your objectives.
- The contractWe sign a sponsorship or partnership contract, with clear responsibilities and deadlines.
- Delivery and reportWe keep you updated along the way, and at the end you receive the impact report, with figures and photos.
Who has trusted us before
Real partners, public results.
Every line is backed by a contract, an agreement or a written confirmation, which we send on request.
Fondation Orange
Digital Education & AI Training Hub, 2024–2025: more than 360 beneficiaries (contract 2024-MD-INT-050).
WECF
GreenCode for Fairer Futures, May 2026 – April 2027: 80 young people, at least 55% girls.
CNR-UNESCO
Nomination for the UNESCO King Hamad Prize 2026, the “Green Futures” file, ID 407.
The Hub’s journey
Step by step, towards a space of our own.
We don’t launch everything at once. Each stage starts only after we have measured the results of the one before.
- 2026
Preparation
We choose the European models, check they don’t already exist in Romania and look for our first partners.
- 2027
First pilots
The initiatives start small, in partner schools and villages in Vrancea.
- 2028–30
Across the county
What works reaches more localities; what doesn’t, we fix or stop.
- 2035
A space of our own
The Hub moves into the Centre 2035 in Vrancea, alongside the association’s permanent programmes.
Methodology
Six steps, from data to impact.
We use the same method for every initiative, step by step, so anyone can follow what we do.
- The problem, officially measuredWe start only from public data: Eurostat, INS, OECD, the European Commission.
- The proven European modelWe look for the solution that has already worked in other EU countries, with evaluated results.
- Checking in RomaniaWe make sure the model doesn’t already exist here, so we don’t duplicate others’ work.
- Adapting with expertsWe build the Vrancea version together with specialists and teachers.
- Community pilotWe test on a small scale, in partner schools and villages, from 2027.
- Measurement and public reportWe publish the results — what worked and what didn’t — before any scaling up.
Partners from across Europe
Based in Germany, the Netherlands or the Nordics? You can partner with us.
Many European companies run CSR programmes in Romania through their local offices, suppliers or foundations. We work with partners from across the EU, on site or online, and report in English. See our European partners and CSR partnerships in Romania.
Cross-border support
Support a project in Vrancea from anywhere in the EU. You receive an impact report in English that fits group-wide sustainability (ESG and CSRD) reporting.
Employees as online mentors
Coding mentoring, conversations about careers in tech or robotics workshops, delivered online for our pupils, in English or Romanian.
A day in Romania
Teams visiting Romania can spend a day in Vrancea: nature expeditions, installing sensors or a hackathon with young people.
Partners from all 27 EU member states
We welcome companies, foundations and volunteers from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.
And from the wider European Economic Area, including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, whose EEA and Norway Grants already support civil society in Romania. We also work with partners in the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
What companies and foundations ask us.
What is the minimum involvement?
There is no fixed threshold. You can start with a volunteering day or equipment and grow into a full pilot. We suggest the right option after a short conversation.
Is the sponsorship tax-deductible?
Yes, within the limits of the Romanian Fiscal Code: the association has been on ANAF’s register of eligible entities since 30 August 2023. For the exact calculation, we recommend speaking to your accountant.
What reporting do we receive?
An interim and a final report, with unique participants, skills test results, photos taken with consent and an honest assessment of what worked and what didn’t.
Can we choose the theme or the community?
Yes. You choose the initiative and, where possible, the Vrancea locality where the pilot takes place.
When do the initiatives start?
The first pilots are planned for 2027, as we secure funding. Each initiative’s page shows what is already prepared and what is still missing.
How is it linked to the Centre 2035?
The Centre 2035 is the physical space we want to build in Vrancea. The Hub brings together the programmes that will run there; until then, we work in partner schools and villages.
How is it different from the Research & Innovation Hub project?
The Research & Innovation Hub is a research and prototyping project for young people. The Green Innovation Hub brings together the 7 new initiatives adapted from Europe. They can share equipment, but their purposes differ.
Let’s talk
Do you have a CSR budget or an open call?
Tell us what you fund and by when. We will reply with a suitable proposal and the documents you ask for.
- Phone
- +40 374 962 748
- Documents
- Organisation profile for funders
Portfolio 2026–2027
From Vrancea to Europe, and back.
About the Hub 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.
Technology, AI and resilience
Local experimentation spaces for the EU Missions
Schools and villages become test sites for the EU Missions on climate, soil and cities: young people prototype, the community decides what stays.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Missions
Linked to: R&D Hub — Research & Innovation, Centre 2035
Living labs for nature and climate
Soil living labs — the full proposal
The consortium, methodology and work plan for the soil living labs, ready to discuss with universities, farmers and authorities.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Soil Mission
Linked to: Nature Restored, For funders
Living labs for nature and climate
European network of living labs for nature restoration
The Vrancea living labs connect with labs in other countries: the same data, compared, and young people learning from each other.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Nature
Linked to: Nature Restored, Partners & UNESCO
Erasmus+ and mobility
Cooperation partnership (youth / schools / adults)
A larger project with partners from several countries that turns young people’s prototypes into resources used by schools and NGOs.
Target programme: Erasmus+
Linked to: For funders, Educational resources
Erasmus+ and mobility
Youth exchanges, youth worker mobility and youth participation
Young people from Vrancea travel and host peers from across Europe; youth workers learn new ways of working with technology.
Target programme: Erasmus+
Linked to: Youth, gender & activism, Inclusion for Every Child
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
See all 43 programme linesPropose a partnershipProtected species