In response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), in partnership with the Constanta County School Inspectorate and funded by World Vision Romania, initiated a project to respond to the diverse needs of Ukrainian children who were displaced from the cause of conflict, providing them with educational support, integration opportunities and essential services to ensure their well-being and development.
As part of the project financed by the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) through World Vision, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Association, the Constanța branch organized a working visit to the Romanian-Finnish High School and a seminar for the exchange of experience and good practices. Representatives of the Constanța County School Inspectorate, the Constanța County Center for Resources and Educational Assistance, teachers involved in organizing the introductory course in Romanian for Ukrainian children, directors of the schools where JRS supports the educational hubs, Ukrainian teachers, a team of Romanian-Finnish High School and a team of World Vision Romania partners.
The more than 40 participants took a guided tour of the high school, during which the facilities, programs and resources for integration provided by the host educational unit were presented. A session to exchange good practices and proposals for future actions followed.
“Through exchanges of experience and initiative, together with our traditional partners, we continue to identify solutions to ensure access to education for immigrant, refugee and beneficiary children of a form of international protection. Through the actions carried out by the ISJ Constanța team, especially by our colleague, Prof. Magdalena Baciu-Iacob, school inspector for monitoring programs regarding access to education, our institution has demonstrated that it has the necessary resources to support educational programs for the greater benefit of children , regardless of the country they come from”, said Sorin Mihai, general school inspector of the Constanța County School Inspectorate.
Project description:
The project includes four main activities aimed at improving the educational opportunities and social integration of Ukrainian refugee children in Constanta:
• Establishment of educational support teams: To facilitate the inclusion and active participation of Ukrainian children in formal education, three educational support teams will be established. Each team, consisting of a minimum of three learning support teachers, will mentor 100 Ukrainian primary and secondary school children attending formal schools in Constanta. These teams will assess the needs of Ukrainian children and provide personalized support to improve their learning outcomes, thus facilitating their integration into the formal education system.
• Carrying out school needs assessments: In collaboration with local school leadership teams, comprehensive school needs assessments will be carried out. These assessments will focus on identifying gaps and barriers to learning for Ukrainian children already enrolled in formal schools in Constanta. The findings will inform further interventions and initiatives to effectively address identified needs and barriers, ensuring that Ukrainian refugee children receive the support they need to succeed in their education.
• Development of personalized plans: Based on the results of school needs assessments, personalized plans will be developed for each of the three targeted schools. These plans will be tailored to meet the specific requirements and needs of Ukrainian children in each school, including capacity-building measures to create or strengthen the learning environment. By contextualizing the plans within the local educational framework, the project aims to ensure that Ukrainian refugee children receive the support they need to develop academically.
• Provision of remedial integrative activities: Educational support teams will facilitate remedial integrative activities for Ukrainian children and the host community. These activities, which focus on literacy, communication, social skills and mathematics, will promote the integration of refugee children alongside their Romanian peers.
By providing opportunities for interaction, learning and mutual understanding, these activities will contribute to the social integration of Ukrainian refugee children in Constanta. By implementing these four main activities, the project aims to address the educational needs of Ukrainian refugee children in Constanta, while promoting their integration into the local community and formal education system.
