CAMPANIE AWARENESS

„EDUCAȚIE FĂRĂ BARIERE”: Campaign awareness on the subject of inclusion &

integration of children with special needs in Cluj Napoca’s primary schools, secondary schools
and high schools

#EducatieFaraBariere #SiEuPot

A campaign developed by Ms. Alexandra Oașu-Cortean, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca & her team ✅

STRUCTURE

I. Conducting Research and Setting Goals ✅

MAIN ISSUE: All the children with disabilities have the same rights as other children,
namely the right to happiness, to physical and moral integrity, and to education, but
unfortunately, this is not always the case in Romania. Most of the disabled students are
discriminated against and bullied by the other students and teachers, which can lead to high
rates of school drop-out (23% of the pupils at primary and secondary school levels dropped
out in 2020, according to edupedu.ro), mental health issues, or poor educational
achievements. Moreover, around 75% of disabled students do not have access to high-quality
education in Romania, according to UNICEF, and only 17% are integrated in the labour
market.

PURPOSE: We believe that every pupil has the right to education. The purpose of this
campaign is to raise awareness regarding the students that have mental or physical disabilities
and are denied their fundamental right to learn in an inclusive environment.

GOALS: The main goal of the campaign is to educate school teachers, students and their
parents from 15+ schools and high schools in Cluj-Napoca, by introducing special workshops
that will provide information regarding the most common disabilities, as well as how to
prevent discrimination and bullying in schools. These workshops will equip the participants
with a better understanding and will initiate a call to action on this topic. The expected result
of this campaign is that pupils with special needs will be fully accepted and supported in the
school environment in Cluj-Napoca.

II. Setting the time ✅

This campaign will take place throughout the whole school year (September 2022 - June
2023) in order to ensure their integration into the system and win public support for this
major cause.

III. Defining an Audience - V

Our audience is represented by:

 1. The educational system of Romania, especially of Cluj Napoca and the persons
designated to coordinate and modify it.
2. Parents who have children with disabilities and special needs. Especially parents who
are not sufficiently informed or who are afraid to send these children to schools /
kindergartens / public institutions with common groups of children. In this category
we can also include young people with special needs who have reached the age of 15
and need support, especially moral support, to decide to attend joint institutions.
3. NGOs whose field of activity is various social movements, especially the support of
certain categories of people.
4. Individuals and legal entities that can become potential sponsors, especially sponsors
known for their donations and their support of campaigns with the same theme as ours

IV. Crafting a Message - V

Every person - child, young person and adult must be able to benefit from educational
opportunities designed for meet their basic learning needs
(Haddad, 1990)

An estimated 93 million children worldwide live with disabilities. Like all youths,
children with special needs have ambitions and dreams for their futures. Like all children,
they need quality education to develop their skills and discover their full potential.
Yet, children with disabilities are often overlooked in policymaking, which is limiting
their access to education and their ability to participate in social, economic and political life.
Inclusive education is the most effective way to give all children a fair chance to go to school,
learn and develop the skills they need to thrive.
Inclusive education refers primarily to the restructuring of school cultures, policies
and practices so that they respond to the diversity of students in their locality.
This means that all children, including children with special needs, not only have
access to school in their own community, but are also given adequate learning opportunities
to reach their full potential. Inclusive education means all children in the same classrooms, in
the same schools.
However, it is also essential that parents, children and communities be taught to
change their attitudes and understand why inclusion is important, as this is what will sustain
change.
Our campaign wants everyone to hear our message and our community to understand
that these children and young people need to be included in social life. We want to achieve a
truly major change in the education system and to be able to receive all the necessary support
for this purpose. We are confident that with your support, we will make these children an
integral part of the community, and most importantly, we want to bring them happiness and
support.
We sincerely believe that this is a historic moment, because we legitimize and put on
the public agenda the fundamental right of children with special needs to inclusive education.
It is true that the education system in Romania still has important steps in the reform structure
to do to ensure inclusion, but we are sure that together, through work, support and effort, we
will reach this goal.

V. Recruiting Ambassadors ✅

● Mihaela Tatu – public figure with an important influence on social media and television,
extremely passionate about projects that involve children, active member in projects such as
“Edubiz” and “Somnoroși.ro”.
● Adela Hanafi - President of Asociatia CONIL & Centrul Municipal Bucuresti de Resurse si
Asistenta Educationala, Founder of Conil Kindergartens & Afterschools & Primary school -
educational spaces that promote the inclusiveness of children with special needs.
● Nicu Ștefănuță - Romanian politician of USR, serving as a Member of the European
Parliament since 2019; known for his progressive and inclusive policies & stances.
● Creative Monkeyz - influencers based in Cluj-Napoca; they have a strong online fanbase who
can donate on Twitch streams.
● Volunteers – people deeply involved in the project who can support the campaign through
social media, giving flyers or even donate themselves.
● Teachers and psychologists from Centrul Școlar pentru Educație Incluzivă, Cluj-Napoca –
specialised in the field of inclusive education, with a personal website and an active Facebook
page with 1000 followers.
● Cofeels - a coffee shop that also employs people with disabilities.

VI. Securing Sponsors: ✅

- Donations from people through social media and television;
- Donations from our ambassadors;
- Raising money through events: „Festivalul Integrării Cluj” - a special cultural event with
singing, acting and other entertaining surprises.
- Orange Foundation – important society, with strong funding, involved in different social
causes;
- ISJ Cluj – funded the most modern special school in the country in 2020, built in Cluj.
- Cluj-Napoca City Hall & Local Council

VII. Setting Up a Web Page & prezentarea generala - TEO

VIII. Creating a Marketing Plan & Hosting Events ✅

STEP 1. Create Interest

Our main target audience: teachers/professors, pupils, parents of children, local politicians, and the
general population of Cluj-Napoca and surroundings.
Our statement: We believe in #EducatieFaraBariere, for better and more inclusive schools in Cluj-
Napoca.
Our platforms and materials: Website, special segment for this Campaign on the City Hall’s
webpage, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, local Radio Stations,. Regarding materials, we prepared
brochures (both printed and online), special guides with the help of education professionals and many
more (doctors, therapists).
Our budget: We rely on donations (expected figures: 5000-8000 euros) + public funding from the
City Hall & ISJ (on-going talks).

STEP 2: Maintain Interest

Our (both organic and paid) social media campaigns: Social Media Ads, ZOOM Webinars, Short
Video stories of children with special needs and their achievements #SiEuPot on all SM platforms
(pupils on the spectrum that won important prizes at Science contests, pupils with physical disabilities
that do ballet or play sports like karate or football), Online Donation streams provided by our SM
Influencers, local TV short ads.

Our events (part I): Workshops in 15+ primary, secondary schools and high schools in Cluj-Napoca
on the topic of raising awareness of various disabilities, anti-bullying training for teachers, creating
inclusive infrastructure in schools (eg. access platforms).

STEP 3: Reward Interest

Contests & challenges: To show support, people who visit the City Center, can write (or draw) their
message of support to the children & teens with special needs on the mural in front of the COFEEL’S
Coffee Shop. People can buy special merchandise made by children&teens within the school system.
Then they get a free muffin from the Coffee Shop.

Our events (part II): Our main event “Festivalul Integrarii CLUJ” will take place in the National
Theatre “Lucian Blaga”. We will have a very special talent show in which the main stars will be
school children and high school students, including children with special needs, from
Music&Dance&Theatre even Martial Arts clubs in Cluj-Napoca and surroundings. Outside, in the
Opera Park, there will be many artisans along with many partners from the hospitality area who will
delight you with hot and cold drinks, as well as appetizers. Also during the event, many local brands
will be able to exhibit their products. The money will be donated for the equipment needed to
integrate school children with special needs into day-by-day City spaces (schools, shops, various
institutions).

Prizes: Free ClujBike cards (to use the bikes for more than 1 hour), free Entries for children and their
parents @Teatrul de Papusi “Puck”’s shows, City Hall Vouchers for ceva nuj Teo???

Resources:

https://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/lesotho_feasibility.pdf

https://library.down-syndrome.org/en-gb/research-practice/01/3/integration-does-make-difference
https://ca01000043.schoolwires.net/cms/lib08/CA01000043/Centricity/domain/168/research%20you
%20can%20use/Benefits%20of%20Integration%20of%20Students%20with%20Disabilities.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811001637
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/we-are-all-children-campaign-inclusion-
children-disabilities/

https://humanity-inclusion.org.uk/en/campaign/school4all

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/12/03/making-quality-education-accessible-to-
children-with-disabilities

https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/access-education-students-disability-barriers-and-difficulties

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/
67664/edu-chi-disabil-guid-note.pdf

https://www.innovacareconcepts.com/en/blog/how-to-make-schools-more-accessible-for-disabled-
students/

https://www.licdefauzcluj.ro/
http://www.cedcd.ro/

https://www.edupedu.ro/primul-mesaj-de-interes-public-ce-promoveaza-dreptul-la-educatie-
incluziva-al-copiilor-cu-dizabilitati-pe-posturile-tv-si-radio-pentru-egalitate-de-sanse-copiii-cu-
dizabilitati-au-dreptul-sa-inve/

https://www.unicef.org/moldova/comunicate-de-pres%C4%83/75-dintre-copiii-cu-dizabilit
%C4%83%C8%9Bi-din-europa-central%C4%83-%C8%99i-de-est-precum-%C8%99i-cei-0

https://adevarul.ro/economie/stiri-economice/analizA-doar-17-romanii-cudizabilitati-integrati-piata-
muncii-1_5f9807415163ec42714332e8/index.html

https://www.wall-street.ro/articol/Social/265426/romania-pierde-mii-de-copii-in-drumul-spre-scoala-
cati-copii-abandoneaza-scoala-in-romania.html