ABOUT US
Curtea Veche Association was founded in 2014 in order to facilitate access to books for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Studies show that beginning with the third grade, children who aren’t reading proficiently will gradually fall behind in school, being less and less likely to catch up with their peers who read for pleasure. The risk is even more significant for children coming from socioeconomically challenged environments, where access to books is low. Through our programs, we fight so that all children, regardless of their background, will have access to books they can read for and with pleasure.
WHAT WE DO
We use all resources at our disposal to ensure that Romania’s most vulnerable children have a real chance at overcoming social and economic hardships through reading and education. We offer free resources to teachers, especially in rural environments, we organize special reading events for children in Romanian cities and make reading more accessible to kids from disadvantaged backgrounds by donating books and setting up reading clubs in regional schools.
CONTEXT
Concerning the number of books read per capita, Romania is in the last place compared to the other countries of the European Union.
of Romanian students are functional illiterates
of Romanian students drop out of school
of students from the rural areas go to college
WE BELIEVE
That readers are not born but taught. As are lawyers, doctors, mathematicians, astronauts, musicians and Nobel Prize winners. It isn’t easy to achieve your dreams, but, as in the case of reading, just because something is difficult it doesn’t mean it can’t be a whole lot of fun!
OUR RESULTS
During the last 4 years since our association has been founded, we have organized more than 250 book donations, we have initiated 6 fundraising events, we have created 4 editions of the NARATIV FESTIVAL, to which hundreds of children from Bucharest have participated, we have founded more than 200 book clubs and we have donated more than 74.000 books to children from Călărași, Iași, Ilfov, Tulcea, Mureș, Teleorman, Dolj, Hunedoara, Brașov, Bihor, Timiș, Argeș, Dâmbovița, Suceava, Alba, Sibiu, Cluj, Prahova, Giurgiu, Bacău, Constanța, Ialomița, Vrancea, Galați, Buzău, Vâlcea, Botoșani, Maramureș, Arad and from București.
We are proud of:
- The best Marketing/PR/CSR Campaign Award granted by the Bun de Tipar Gala (2015)
- The nomination for the Together for the children category at the Itsy Bitsy Excellency Awards (2016)
- The nomination for the Communication and Cultural Mediation category at the AFCN Awards (2017)
- The nomination for the I care category (projects concerning social, cultural and educational responsibility) at the Itsy Bitsy Excellency Awards (2017)
- The award granted by the National Gala for Volunteers for the Narativ Festival – The best volunteering project of the year in the cultural and artistic domain – 2017
IN NUMBERS
Over 74000 donated books (new)
250 organized events
200 founded book clubs
34 targeted counties
OUR TEAM
IREN ARSENE
President
I founded Curtea Veche Association in March of 2014 in order to develop the CSR activities of Curtea Veche Publishing in an independent manner. As a mother and a publisher, I feel it is my duty to share books and knowledge with parents an children all over the country. It’s always been my belief that books contain the answers to the most important of children’s questions. We all need to become aware of the fact that reading is as important as water or air, because it guides us towards achieving what we desire in life.
Smaranda Nicolau
Educational Coordinator
Why is reading important? There are countless studies documenting the benefits of reading - greater empathy, better grades etc. And yet, I’m pretty sure no avid reader has ever picked up a book just because they thought it would help them empathize. Or because reading would make them more interesting or even more knowledgeable. I think they just liked it. We’ve become overly preoccupied with the benefits of certain behaviors. As if people need to be coaxed into reading by something other than the sheer fun of it. Why is reading important? If every child on the planet would answer this question by saying “Because I like it”, I think we would be living in a perfect world.
Maria Desmirean
Vicepresident
Reading’s always been a part of my life, all the more so as my past 6 years have been spent working in the field of publishing. I feel that a lot of kids and young people in Romania aren’t familiar with the joys of reading the way they should be. I also believe this is something we can fix with alternative teaching methods that make reading more fun and with the help of people who want to share the magic of a well-told adventure with kids everywhere. I chose to become involved with Curtea Veche Association because I want a better future for my country, a future I don’t believe to be possible without a long-term investment in education.
GÁSPÁR GYÖRGY
Psychologist&Psychotherapist, Consultant on Parenting through Reading
My relationship with reading was not always a friendship. In my childhood I vehemently rejected books. Now I am a collector and their greatest supporter. Going from hatred to love meant undergoing a serious process of admittance, analysis and an internal ‘revolution’. This is a process that I really trust and by me joining The Curtea Veche Association I intend to bring this ample cycle closer to parents, teachers, babysitters and grandparents in Romania. Just so that, as shortly as possible, a greater number of children can benefit from recognizing the hidden treasures and values that books bear.
MIRUNA MEIROSU
Vicepresident
My daily activities have a great deal to do with books, the people who write them and those who read them. This is exciting to me and it makes me want to share the joys of books with kids.
There are so many families that don’t have access to books because they live in environments where resources are extremely scarce. I think this is an obstacle we must overcome and I’m convinced that Curtea Veche Association’s projects can accomplish just that.
Barna Nemethi
Creative Consultant
Books have been an essential starting point for what I do and who I am today, I became better with every finished book and strongly encourage children to (re)discover reading because the results will surely come. I support The Curte Veche Association because I want to encourage future generations to think out of the box, to be creative and to dare more for their dreams.
VALENTINA ROMAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Many times I think about all the help I’ve got from books I used to read as a child. They all taught me something, and for that I am grateful to all the adults in my life who encouraged me to read: my parents, my sister, my teachers, friends I exchange books with to this day. I strongly believe that it is never too late or too early to bring children closer to books, but this takes patience and perseverance. It is within our wisdom to find new methods to help out young readers. I accept this challenge and I hope that, through Curtea Veche Association’s projects, we will be able to bring a book into every home.