G&G labs in Romania

 

The G&G initiative was embraced in both rural and urban contexts, in three different areas of Romania: Bucharest, Calarasi and Teleorman, each with at least two institutions involved. The institutions – on their own or in partnership with others – made possible the use of the methodology in a variable number of labs dedicated to training the young (1 or 2) and several dedicated to the grandparents (on average 4 to 5). The minimum number of trained grandparents was four, but in some cases was up to 20.
The most important conclusion that we can draw from this experience is that it was considered an interesting and dynamic initiative, implemented by a larger the number of active and available participants (schools, teachers, students and seniors) that actually exceeded our expectations. Though some of the institutions initially wanting to be involved (mainly schools) dropped out at an early stage, others joined the initiative during this process, and now we have more then 10 schools that have reached the objective of making the initiative a reality in their own contexts.
It wasn’t easy for the school to start up, but once they got the ball rolling (identifying participants for each of the target group; planning the labs etc.) it was a success. At this phase we are planning the dissemination event that will include a section for sharing of experiences between institutions. We hope that we have raised their interest to a level that will make this kind of initiative a thing to be offered in the years to come to other students and seniors!