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Early Education Forward was created in 2019 alongside our strategic partners at OvidiuRO. The program represents the preschool-level component of our intervention and provides children born into financially vulnerable families the chance for a strong start in school and in life by ensuring access to quality early education and by exposing them to modern and age-appropriate educational resources and tools.
We have designed an integrated intervention for the preschool level that consists of several components:
- training preschool teachers and stimulating their professional and leadership skills
- equipping the kindergartens they work in with quality educational materials
- democratizing access to books, both in kindergartens and directly for children and their families, physically by providing books, but also online through the NABU reading app
About the Beneficiaries
Preschool teachers and schools or kindergartens
We focus on communities with high school dropout risk and teachers predominantly from rural areas. These teachers work in underserved communities facing economic and social challenges.
Preschool-aged children from underserved communities
Who come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and have limited or no access to age-appropriate books.
Projects
Every Child Deserves a Story
Together with our strategic partners from the OvidiuRO Association, we have designed an intervention based on an integrated approach to early education.
Through this partnership, we aim to improve children’s vocabulary, develop their language skills, and build the foundations for reading and writing skills.
The project has been implemented in Romania in Botoșani, Galați, Iași, Olt, Vaslui counties as well as the Ferentari neighborhood in Bucharest. In 2024, we are focusing our efforts on Giurgiu and Teleorman counties.
For preschool teachers
Early literacy techniques training
We provide fundamental literacy concepts, techniques for reading aloud, and ways to create activities based on the texts read. Teachers receive ready-to-use resources to use in the classroom and help them collaborate with parents, encouraging them to read and interact more with their children.
Equipping kindergartens with modern, high-quality educational resources
Alongside the teacher training sessions, we equip kindergartens with literacy kits that include carefully selected, age-appropriate picture books aligned with the preschool curriculum. In 2024, 300 kindergarten groups and 200 local coordinators from Giurgiu and Teleorman counties will receive this support.
For preschool-aged children
Gifting the first book to take home
Children can open new horizons through literature while developing essential skills to become active readers. In 2024, 2000 children from the poorest communities in Giurgiu and Teleorman counties will receive their first book.
Futureproof Educators
Launched in 2023 alongside the OvidiuRO Association, this project targets preschool teachers working in underserved communities who serve as role models for active involvement in educational and civic projects within their communities.
The program’s beneficiaries are selected from a pool of preschool teachers who carry out extracurricular projects, continuously seek new ways to refresh their teaching methods, and have demonstrated leadership qualities and community engagement.
The program prepares approximately 20 preschool teachers each year, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, strategies, and attitudes necessary to work effectively with children from diverse backgrounds and their families.
The training covers digital pedagogy, methods for working with children with special educational needs, communication with families and the community, and learning through play, among others.
Approximately 300 children benefit indirectly from the new knowledge gained and from the training received by preschool teachers participating in the program.
NABU – Free Reading App
NABU is a free reading app for mobile phones and tablets, launched in Romania in partnership with the OvidiuRO Association in 2022.
It does not require high-speed internet or high-performance devices, and books can be downloaded and read offline.
The app simply needs children and parents or teachers willing to read stories. Our goal is to bring the power of storytelling into children’s lives and build accessible pathways to knowledge—the only superpower we truly believe in.
NABU is a tool for parents and teachers, allowing children to select stories based on their reading level, explore contemporary topics through literature, and even learn English—many of the available books are bilingual.
Impact in 2024
Books distributed to children and preschool teachers
Educators participated in educational sessions
Educational projects implemented by the first generation of Futureproof Educators
Kids benefitted from activities organised by the trained educators
Preschool teachers graduated the Futureproof Educators project
Volunteers read to kids in Giurgiu and Teleorman counties
Get the 2024 Annual Report
Testimonials
Olivia Rada
Cetate, Dolj
My name is Olivia Rada. I have been a kindergarten teacher in a rural community on the banks of the Danube for over 25 years. I love my village, the community in which I work, and the children who walk through the doors of the kindergarten. Every day, I strive to keep up with the changes in our society. I have realized that only by doing so can I help raise generations of children who are prepared for life.
To be ready to support new generations of children, I need to stay well-informed. Futureproof Educators is one of the projects closest to my heart, where I had the opportunity to meet remarkable people who are passionate about their profession and eager to share their knowledge and do good. Alongside them, I deepened my understanding of digital pedagogy and learned how to properly address the challenges of neurodiversity.
Identifying a community’s issues and finding effective solutions—this is what I learned and practiced through the project. But this program is more than just a project; it is a community where we can learn from one another, enrich our teaching experiences, and connect with people who share the same goal: educating children.
Thank you, UiPath Foundation and OvidiuRO, for this opportunity!
Sorina
Boteni, Argeș
Futureproof Educators was an experience about the future being built today within the community, where quality, professionalism, inspiration, and play complement each other.
The project was a journey through current topics of interest, guided by the best specialists and supported by all the resources we needed to create a big-bang of change.
It helped me become a resource for my community and work TODAY for the FUTURE!
Nicoleta Stancu
Curcani, Călărași
I would like to share my thoughts on the Futureproof Educators project. This experience was transformative and gave me a solid foundation to become an effective educator.
One remarkable aspect of this program was its focus on learning how to use various online tools and programs to support the development of preschoolers. This was especially useful in today’s context, where technology plays a crucial role in education.
Another highlight of the training program was our visit to CONIL Kindergarten, where we spoke with specialists who helped us understand the importance of properly addressing neurodiversity. I learned not only practical techniques for interacting with and supporting children with special needs but also how to cultivate an attitude of acceptance and understanding toward human diversity. Additionally, the program encouraged us to create and organize learning spaces tailored to preschoolers’ developmental needs. I gained practical skills for setting up the classroom in a way that stimulates exploration, play, and active learning.
In conclusion, Educator of the Future was a valuable and inspiring educational experience. I am grateful that through this training program, I met wonderful people, built meaningful friendships, and am convinced that the knowledge and skills I gained will greatly benefit my career as an educator.
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