Five youth centers to receive €500,000 for equipment and technical support

Young people and adolescents from Ungheni, Taraclia, Edineț, Călărași and Grătiești will have access to practical activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics at local youth centers. The centers will receive equipment and technical support to develop their services, through an investment of approximately €500,000.

The program is being implemented with financial support from the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank KfW, with a total budget of approximately €500,000 over a three-year period. The funding covers both the centers’ equipment and expert assistance, training and technical support for service development.

During the first year of implementation, investments will amount to approximately €200,000. Each center will benefit from an integrated package of support for the development and piloting of the STEAM service—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The package will include educational and methodological resources for developing and implementing the STEAM service; strengthening the professional capacities of youth workers through training, mentoring and exchanges of good practices; and providing the specific equipment and materials needed to implement STEAM programs and activities.

Marcel Marin, head of the Youth and Sports Policy Directorate within the Ministry of Education and Research, said that piloting the STEAM service would enable the centers to diversify their activities and better respond to the interests and needs of young people.

The five selected institutions are the Ungheni Municipal Youth Center, Taraclia Youth Center, Edineț Youth Center, Călărași Municipal Youth Center and Grătiești Youth Center. They were selected following a competition in which 16 centers participated.