23 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
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March 18, 2024
The partnership initiated five years ago between Pro Patrimonio Foundation and UiPath Foundation continues throughout 2024 in the communities of children around the George Enescu House in Mihăileni and Neamțu Manor in Olari – historical monuments from Botoșani and Olt counties.
Over the past ten years Pro Patrimonio Foundation has been promoting education of and for heritage, through its trans-annual and interdisciplinary “Education for Heritage” program wherever the Foundation physically intervenes. The more over 40 workshops initiated by Pro Patrimonio these past years are mainly aimed at children in the 7-14 age group, in vulnerable situations in the communities where the foundation carries out its projects for the rescue, conservation and rehabilitation of architectural heritage (Golescu Villa in Câmpulung, Neamțu Manor in Olari, Perticari-Davila Manor in Argeș, George Enescu House in Mihăileni, etc.).
The activities are organized annually in the form of practical workshops and aim to educate and teach directly, through experimentation and creativity, about architectural heritage, local memory and identity, nature, buildings, relationships between people and cultural values. “Enescu House Festive Days” (2020), “School of Landscape, Art and Sound” (2021), “The Story of My Village” (2022) and the “Heritage in a Pack” kit series are examples of projects and activities that have taken place in previous years at Enescu House and Neamțu Manor and have involved not only local children and young people but also the local community.
This year, the heritage education component is called “Heritage Kit and Caravan – Homes and Communities Working Together “ and is being carried out with monthly activities, kits and workshops in five communities where Pro Patrimonio is undergoing restoration interventions.
The partnership initiated five years ago with the UiPath Foundation’s support programes was thus natural, benefiting from the expertise of local needs identified so that the intervention could have the desired effect.
Started with 20 children near the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, Botoșani in January 2020, UiPath Foundation’s flagship intervention – “Leap towards the Future” – has grown each year and reached its 5th year of collaboration with Pro Patrimonio Foundation to provide educational support for 40 children and their families. A year later the program was replicated in the socially disadvantaged communities around the Neamțu Manor in Olari, Olt, a monument also under the care of Pro Patrimonio Foundation. Here, from 2021, through this collaboration it was possible to provide support for 20 children, now reaching 30 beneficiaries. The tangible support is continuous, constant throughout the year, annually. Through this educational program, children from socially vulnerable families – aged between 11 and 16 – receive an integrated package of support, with the aim of reducing the risk of dropping out of school and helping them to reach their full potential.
The intervention requires a long-term approach that takes into account the child’s whole ecosystem. Through the program, children benefit from weekly tutoring lessons for Romanian language and literature, Mathematics or English to strengthen their school knowledge. In addition, they benefit from various educational activities, monthly scholarships, tablets with internet access and educational apps, medical and psychological support. Families also receive regular packages of food, school supplies, clothing, shoe ware and books.
Every child in the program participates in “Inspirational Speakers”, “Conversation Club” and U&I Summer Camp, just a few examples of other landmark activities that broaden children’s horizons about their career paths, encourage them to practice English through interactive activities, and provide the framework for the development of many skills, including effective communication, teamwork, managing emotions, digital skills and financial literacy.
Foto: Cătălin Georgescu
In line with Pro Patrimonio’s objectives and mission – in this collaborative project for the George Enescu House – a dedicated project entitled “Music Academy for Children” was established in 2020 . It gave the opportunity to a group of children from the towns of Mihăileni and Vârful Câmpului in Botoșani to educate themselves in the spirit of music. The program facilitates children and young people from the area to develop their musical skills, study an instrument, participate in local competitions and meet established artists who give recitals at “Concerts on the Siret River”. The aim of the weekly courses is not necessarily performance, but the formation of a musical culture and personal development through music. A new generation of children from Mihăileni will join the program in May this year.
To support young people studying piano, in 2022, through the collaboration between Pro Patrimonio and teacher Diana Bratan, the manual “Introduction to the ABC of Music. A guide for teachers and parents”. The publication introduced, clearly and concisely, through graphic illustrations, indispensable notions for a solid musical foundation. Printed copies were distributed free of charge to interested teachers and young people, and the digital version is still available online in the Pro Patrimonio Foundation’s Useful Resources Library.
