AVE: 9 years dedicated to education, with programs and projects carried out at the national level

• AVE (Asociatia pentru Valori in Educatie) has assigned approximately 5.9 million euros for the programs and projects carried out in the 9 years of activity
• The Principals of the Year Awards Gala brought 30 school principals under the spotlight
• By 2028, AVE wants to work with 1,000 schools in the Romanian School Transformation Program

AVE (Asociatia pentru Valori in Educatie) has been contributing for 9 years to the transformation of the educational system in Romania through programs and projects developed based on the needs of schools. AVE was born from the desire of seven Romanian entrepreneurs to support the Romanian school to become one that promotes respect, honesty, team spirit and responsibility. Education is the most important investment, and AVE has since the beginning facilitated the involvement of private companies and civil society in the effort to transform it together. 5.9 million euros for programs and projects carried out in schools Throughout the 9 years, AVE has designed and implemented programs designed to have an impact both at the level of school management and teachers and students. The AVE activity benefited from the financial support of the business sector, with a budget of approximately 5.9 million euros allocated to programs and projects.

More than 16,000 teachers took part in the programs coordinated by AVE: Academy of Leadership and School Management, HumanKind, Edu Networks or Alfabetar. The total number of students studying in schools involved in AVE programs amounted to more than 230,000. 290 principals implemented AVE programs in the schools they lead, and another 685 participated in other AVE projects and initiatives. In its 9 years of existence,

AVE interacted with 5,800 directors and deputy directors. More than 400 business leaders understood the importance of the school principal as a vector of change, worked 1 to 1 with a principal and had an essential business-mentor role in the training of principals. The first company to believe in AVE’s mission was Arval – BNP Paribas Group, which understood that education is the basis of a better life.

“At Arval we have always had initiatives to have a positive impact on society. Several people dear to me were, at that time, looking for an idea through which the business environment could act in a coordinated and systematic way to accelerate the change for the better in Romania. They were the ones who convinced me that education is, in fact, the ultimate cause of everything that needs to change. Our vision of investing today for real impact in the far future was not an easy “sell” at the time, let alone to a project at the idea stage. I am extremely proud that I then saw the potential of this wonderful group of people”, said Dan Boiangiu, currently General Manager Arval Belgium.

The Principals of the Year Awards Gala

The Principals of the Year Awards Gala is an event that has become a tradition and for seven years has been providing support and recognition to school principals whose stories have a real impact on the transformation of the schools they lead and can be role models. Through this Gala, AVE wants to create an environment where education is appreciated and valued, inspiring and mobilizing the entire community and leaders from different sectors to get involved in the transformation of education. 30 school principals have been awarded so far and have become models of leadership and entrepreneurial approach.

AVE, involved in the modernization of public policies Beyond the grassroots activity, an important component is AVE’s involvement in the modernization of public policies. Together with other NGOs, chambers of commerce and business groups, AVE contributed to the new Law on pre-university education.

The result is that 34 critical reforms were included in the final version of the project. Also, with the support of AVE, 2,500 directors and deputy directors from the whole country joined an open letter, by which three urgent action scenarios were proposed to the Government to increase the directors’ salaries.

The AVE mission continues through the Program for the Transformation of Schools in Romania

The experience gained by AVE is now found in a unique program through which it aims to support schools more effectively. The Program for the Transformation of Schools in Romania integrates the expertise developed in previous projects, being built in such a way that the enrolled schools receive support according to their specific needs. Each school’s journey in the program will last three years, and the project is aimed at all urban and rural school units with the aim of each child making visible progress in key life skills relevant to the 21st century.

“The European Commission has established 8 skills that every young person should have, regardless of the career they will choose, in order to be truly prepared for the future. The newest program through which AVE supports the transformation of 1,000 schools in Romania over the next 5 years makes students progress in 3 key skills: critical thinking and literacy, socio-emotional skills, digital skills. We started 9 years ago because we believe that every child deserves the chance for an education to realize their potential, and the Transformation Program is another way in which AVE supports this”, said Andreea Nistor, Executive Director of AVE.

AVE (Asociatia pentru Valori in Educatie) is a non-profit organization, whose main objective is to bring the Romanian educational system into the top 10 in Europe by 2035. AVE wants to support the transformation of the Romanian educational system into one which promotes respect, honesty, team spirit and responsibility