Activity report for 1999(PDF) - Soros Foundation Moldova

invited by the European Youth Exchange of Moldova to
participate as junior journalists in the autumn session
of the Children’s Parliament.
Several other outcomes of this program were the
completion of two issues of YDC’s T&U newsletter, with
its title, conception and articles made entirely by participants
of this program and the YDC launch event,
which was also organized by youth from this program.
Out-of-School Activities Department
Coordinator: Melania MIHAILOV
In the course of 1999, the Out-of-School Activities
department offered programs that maximized youth’s
free time while increasing their skills.
Odyssey of the Mind (OM)
Program coordinator: Nina AMBROCI
Our vision is that individuals in Moldova will need
to have the necessary creative, critical and spontaneous
thinking skills to successfully compete and make substantial
contributions in today’s competitive business
environment. To achieve this vision, we want to provide
a fun and challenging opportunity for Moldovan
students to learn lifelong skills which they can then
apply in any number of situations. In order to meet this
goal, our primary objective has been, and continues to
be to provide interested Moldovan students with an
opportunity to participate in an annual OM program.
During 1999, the Odyssey of the Mind Program
continued to expand its activities and it supports the
extracurricular activity of pupils for 3 age categories (8-
11; 12-15; 16-19) to promote the development of creativity,
logical thinking, and the concept of teamwork.
In the first half of the year of 1999, the Odyssey of the
Mind program was implemented in the creation of 50
teams from villages and towns of Moldova, comprising
altogether 350 students and 36 adult-volunteers. 28
teams participated at the National Competition which
was conducted in English and 12 teams participated at
the regional competitions in Romanian (in Cæuøeni,
Moldova).
To share their expertise and to learn new methods
of work in Europe, three winning teams from Chiøinæu,
Cimiølia and Orhei also took part in the European
Festival in Klaipeda, Lithuania. In addition, the team
from Cimiløia also took part in the OM World competition
in Knoxville, Tennessee, the USA. Their participation
was supported by: the Youth Development Center,
Soros Foundation Moldova, USIS (US Information Systems),
private donors and the Moldovan community.
During the second half of the year seven seminars
were held for teachers and coaches where 196 persons
took part. The focus of these seminars was the diversity
of activities with the aim of increasing the quality of OM
performances and the materials prepared by the teams.
1999 ACTIVITY REPORT
Enigma Psychological Club for Adolescents
Program facilitator: Ludmila MAZILU
Adolescence is a very important period in people’s
lives when they learn how to solve conflicts, to resist peer
pressure and learn to communicate effectively. Within the
framework of the Enigma psychological club for adolescents
the following activities were organized: two-phase
drawing competitions, an essay competition, roundtable
discussions, and a theoretical scientific conference.
Other activities included: 15 training sessions in
schools, lyceums, summer camps and playgrounds for
children from Chiøinæu and Vadul lui Voda, on constructive
methods of conflict resolution; the organization
of activities in Chiøinæu schools and lyceums (with
the help of volunteers) with the topic: “One Day without
Conflict” and peer counseling sessions for people of
different backgrounds.
Throughout the whole year the facilitators completed
the above mentioned activities together with volunteers
and the total number of instructed people is 687
teenagers.
Krug Psychological Club for Adolescents
Program facilitator: Serghei CARTAØEV
This program addressed the issue of adolescence in
terms of social and interpersonal skills, thinking and
reasoning, opinions and thoughts, ethical and moral
values.
Throughout 1999, this club organized the following
activities:
– Two selected groups of participants attended the
training course with the topic “Art of Communication
and Conflict Resolution”
– Booklets were produced about the Club and the
Youth Development Center
– More than 2,000 young men and women took
part in the Republican drawing competition “Children
for the World without Conflicts” which was organized
with the help of the Club members
– Two essays contests (with the topic “What I
Would Do for Moldova,” “My Dream,” “My Idea”) More
than 80 papers were considered, reviewed and some
received awards
– Regular consultations for adolescents and adults
were organized with topics dealing with psychology
and conflict resolution
– Graduates of the Club have started volunteer
work and have helped the CONTACT Center in Chiøinæu
develop a range of activities.
Health Education/ Conflict Resolution Department
Coordinator: Melania MIHAILOV
This department focuses on information regarding
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