Familiarizing refugee parents with the tools, procedures, and mechanisms that would facilitate their children’s more effective educational and social integration is one of the objectives of the project “Empowering refugee girls and boys from Ukraine through inclusive and empathetic education in the Republic of Moldova.” To this end, in the seven beneficiary localities (Chișinău, Cimișlia, Criuleni, Dondușeni, Comrat, Vulcănești, and Ceadâr-Lunga), information sessions were launched for parents, legal representatives, and caregivers of refugee children, held in partnership with local public authorities, education departments, social assistance and family protection departments, and other relevant institutions. The first of the three planned activities focused on the educational services available and the psychological support that refugees can access. The meetings, attended by 420 people and moderated by local project coordinators, featured speakers from education departments, representatives of institutions offering psychological support, and psychologists from online community education centers (Digital Hub).

During these meetings, the types of educational institutions, the process of enrolling in kindergarten and school (necessary documents, facilities offered to refugees, etc.), the benefits of including preschool and school-age refugees in the national education system, etc. were discussed. The “psychological support” dimension was addressed by reviewing the services that can be accessed, discussing the importance of emotional support in difficult times, and the role of parents in ensuring the well-being of their children.

Also, for documentation purposes, the project developed a “Your Support Brochure in Moldova” containing useful information for everyday life about: the rights of refugees in the Republic of Moldova; the steps to be taken to benefit from temporary protection; free services and support available; institutions and organizations (addresses, contact details, responsible persons, etc.) that they can turn to in case of need. The brochure, published in Ukrainian and Russian, will be distributed to Ukrainian refugees in the pilot localities of the project and beyond.

The project “Empowering refugee girls and boys from Ukraine through inclusive and empathetic education in the Republic of Moldova” is implemented by the PRO DIDACTICA Educational Center, with financial support from the “Pestalozzi” Children’s Foundation.

Adolescence is an important stage in an individual’s life, characterized by major physical, hormonal and social changes. It is a time when many emotions and feelings are experienced, and the ability to recognize, understand and manage them plays a major role in emotional well-being and relationships with others. This was the message addressed to participants at the information session “Interpersonal relationships among adolescents. Emotions and feelings”. The activity, carried out by the Safe Space in Criuleni with a group of beneficiaries aged 15-17, representatives of the Ukrainian refugee community and the host community, aimed to contribute to the development of dexterity in recognizing one’s own emotional experiences and self-regulation, to increase the level of awareness of emotions and associated behaviors, for greater self-confidence and adaptability to various situations, for effective communication and harmonious relationships, for mental health.

The activity scenario included lectures, discussion sessions, games, exercises, focusing on approaches adapted to the age and needs of the participants. Thus, the concepts of “emotion”, “feeling” and “relationship” were defined with the help of the cartoon “Emotions and Feelings” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDMqOI_Ti0M). After watching the cartoon, the teenagers answered a series of questions on the topic, establishing the types and features of emotions and feelings, how they are generated and expressed, how they influence human behavior. They brought examples from their own experience, presenting reactions to both positive and negative feelings, along with solutions and resources that could help overcome them. Information about the 3 concepts was systematized with the help of the games “How am I today”, “Guess the emotion”, “Trust”, the exercises “Identify the emotion” and “Represent the emotions mentioned in the poem”.

The activity was marked by a lot of emotion, empathy and understanding, the participants being actively involved at all stages, openly sharing their views about their emotional states and their relationships with peers and adults, including in the Placement Center. In the end, they recognized that they have convinced themselves that they can learn to manage their emotions in order to improve their emotional condition and build a healthy self-esteem.

The activity took place in the framework of the project “Refugee Support Initiative”, implemented by the Educational Center PRO DIDACTICA, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as part of the Humanitarian Response in the Republic of Moldova.

The project “Transforming Teacher Education for Green and Digital Transition in Armenia and Moldova (T4Green)” is an Erasmus+ CBHE (KA2) initiative aiming to modernize initial and in-service teacher education by integrating digital and sustainable development skills into the university curriculum. On June 16-19, 2025, partner institutions from Armenia and Moldova met in Valladolid, Spain, for a study week dedicated to the review and development of training programs in three key areas: STEM, inclusive education and languages. This visit allowed the teams from the 2 countries to present proposals for curriculum revision, discuss them in thematic working sessions (STEM Education – modern teaching methods in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; Inclusive and Special Education – strategies to support diversity in the classroom; Foreign Languages – modern language teaching in a digital and sustainable context) and receive feedback from Spanish experts. Each session was guided by staff from the University of Valladolid (UVa), who provided high-level expertise in adapting the programs to the current demands of higher education in the European Union.

Why Spain? Spain is a valuable partner in T4Green because of its focus on intercultural and inclusive competences in teacher training. Spanish programs prepare teachers capable of managing diverse educational contexts, integrating social, cultural and technological dimensions. Methodological innovation, bilingual teaching, the use of digital platforms and student-centered learning are just some of the elements that define the Spanish education system. The country is also constantly investing in educational technologies and the development of online learning. The existence of the VirtUVa centre (Centre for Online Teaching and Didactic Innovation) reflects UVa’s commitment to the digitalization of education. During the visit, participants also had the opportunity to explore Spanish good practices in education for sustainable development, such as the example of the PROMISED project, which promotes the dual transition – digital and green – in general education.

Event Host. The University of Valladolid (UVa) is one of the oldest and most prestigious academic institutions in Spain, with a solid tradition in promoting educational innovation and digital transformation. It stands out for its institutional strategies to modernize university teaching, develop modern tools and methods for teacher training, and provide support in the evaluation and monitoring of curricular reforms – issues that were also addressed during the panel discussions on the last day of the visit. The UVa experts involved in the project come from VirtUVa, the Quality Management Office and the Educational Research Departments, making a valuable contribution to aligning the proposed educational initiatives with European standards in digital and sustainable education.

Highlights of the study visit. The visit included a balanced mix of academic and cultural activities: plenary lectures on topics such as the digital transition in higher education or STEAM integration in education; thematic parallel working sessions on the three priority areas of the project; expert panels focusing on monitoring and evaluation of curricular reforms; cultural activities facilitating intercultural dialogue and informal networking among participants. Each moment of the visit was designed to encourage exchange of good practice and mutual learning between partners. Participants benefited from the expertise of the Spanish hosts, while UVa had the opportunity to reflect on its own processes in comparison with the realities of partner education systems.

Vizita de studiu T4Green la Valladolid marchează o etapă strategică în procesul de transformare a formării cadrelor didactice din Armenia și Moldova. Prin dialogul cu experții spanioli, cehi și portughezi și prin explorarea modelelor educaționale bazate pe inovație, incluziune și durabilitate, participanții vor contribui la îmbunătățirea programelor de formare a profesorilor de mâine. Parteneriatul cu Universitatea din Valladolid consolidează angajamentul T4Green față de educația orientată spre viitor – o educație care dezvoltă competențe digitale și verzi, în beneficiul elevilor, al profesorilor și al întregii societăți.